Glitter
by Ethidda
Summary: [SeKag] With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teenaged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure...
1. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teenaged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.

**WARNINGS:** The following are warnings that I would like to state. If you worry about anything, just don't read the story.

1. I haven't watched Inuyasha in a long time, and my fanfics are based off of fanfics based off of fanfics. So, the characters probably are slightly OOC, especially to fit with the storyline that I want.

2. Note the rating. Please. In order to write the story that I would, there are going to be some parts that are especially gory or explicitly... graphic. If this offends your sensibilities, don't read.

Alright, 'nuff said. Read on, and hopefully enjoy. Don't forget to give me feed back!

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda

**Chapter One**

Kagome almost felt guilty about taking a break from her job as a nurse. Even as she sat on the train, she felt the urge to walk around, asking people how they were doing. But this wasn't just a trip for her, it was a trip for both her and Souta.

Souta had a summer camp in Tokyo, and since he was only fourteen, Kagome's mother hadn't wanted Souta to go all by himself. Her mom also thought that Kagome might benefit from visiting the big city, and held high hopes that Kagome would eventually work in Tokyo and move the whole family into the bustling capital.

Kagome sighed as the full green foliage passed by outside the train window. She loved her mother, kind and accepting as her mother was. And despite the death of Kagome and Souta's father three years ago, her mother managed to remain optimistic and idealistic. Perhaps too much so.

Kagome had tried to ask Souta to give her the details of this two week summer camp that he was attending, but all the descriptions he had given her were vague. When she mentioned this to her mother, though, her mother just waved it off as the inarticulateness of teenaged boys.

Kagome worried a little. She leaned back in her seat on the train next to Souta, who was sleeping quite peacefully. Kagome knew that sometimes, she worried too much, and thought that this was probably one of them. Souta had always been a good boy with good grades and he never got into a fight. It was only last school year that he even started staying out after dinner time.

As the train slowed down a little in preparation for a stop, Souta stirred beside Kagome. Without opening his eyes, he muttered, "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet," she replied. "Just one more stop, though."

Since the hour that Souta knew he could come to Tokyo, he had been excited and impatient. Despite evidence to the contrary, Kagome felt as if today was the first time that Souta slept in days. There was nothing more than youthful exuberance at exploration, she assured herself.

  


_Two weeks later_

Kagome checked her watch again. For the thousandth time, it felt like, but the watch still said that Souta was only five minutes late.

He was supposed to meet her at the lobby of the prominent, five-star hotel since she had the tickets. In a way, Kagome was almost reluctant to leave Tokyo. The big city, with its busy people, heavy traffic, and diverse interests had been fascinating. Back at the shrine where Kagome lived, she had to walk for a good hour to get to any store.

But Kagome missed the tranquility at home, too. She attributed part of her discomfort at the city to the fact that she had never set foot outside her town before. During the day, she had had lots of fun exploring the most au courant shops, but at night, she had always been too tired to leave her room.

And a bit too afraid.

Growing up in a shrine, she had always heard many legends about the youkai--animalistic demons with supernatural powers, as Kagome understood them. Her grandfather was enamored with wild tales, and everything--from the pickle to the Goshinki tree--had a story behind it.

No, Kagome wasn't afraid of youkai. She was plenty sure that even if one of the youkai did jump out at her from the fantastical stories, she could defend quite adequately. Instead, it was the people walking on the streets that worried her.

From the stories that she had heard from her classmates, Tokyo at night had seemed even more fantastical and awesome than her grandfather's stories: the illicit and illegal activities that supposedly went on, gangs, arguments that escalate into violence, corrupted policemen...

They seemed even wilder and more preposterous than the legends that she had heard from her grandfather.

Kagome couldn't imagine why anybody would wish to hurt another. Perhaps in a moment of frustration, even Kagome had wished for the disappearance of someone, but murder...

If those kind of people existed, Kagome didn't need to know about them.

Impatiently, and with worry gnawing at her, Kagome checked her watch again, noticing that fifteen minutes have already passed. She found a public phone and decided to call Souta. Whatever that Souta was doing that kept him from even calling Kagome... Well, it wasn't important enough, and his ears were going to get a good blistering, as soon as Kagome found a way to contact him.

The phone rang several times before somebody picked up the other end. "Yeah?" the rough voice at the other end demanded.

_What kind of camp is this? _Kagome wondered. "Um, do you know if Souta is still there? This is his sister, Kagome, calling."

"Sure, he's not going anywhere," the voice said. Then slightly muffled, "Hey, Souta, 's your sister on the phone. Gonna get big sister to help?"

A silence.

Then a stream of words too far from the receiver and muffled for Kagome to understand. But the voice sounded similar to Souta's.

Another silence.

Then the rough voice was speaking to her again. "You sound like a nice, responsible girl. Wanna come pick him up?"

The way the voice said 'nice' and 'responsible' with a nasal quality to the words gave Kagome a slight pause. But she needed to pick up Souta, or they were going to miss their train. She doubted that their mom was going to be very happy if she had to spend another... however it was that her mother spent on the train tickets. Probably more, because there was a discount on preordered, roundtrip tickets.

"Sure," she answered. "Can I have the address?"

The man on the other end of the phone chuckled. "But of course," he said, and proceeded to give her the address.

Kagome thanked the man, called a taxi, and gave the driver the address. She hardly noticed when the driver gave her an odd glance.

  


  
As the taxi drove further from her hotel, an ominous feeling grew from the pit of Kagome's stomach. Just the dark, Kagome reassured herself. The last rays of the golden sun were sweeping through the city, casting dark, long shadows. Neon lights burst forth on the streets, and loud music could be heard, filtered through the crowds of people in the streets from the night clubs. 

Suddenly, the taxi stopped in front of a neon sign, which looked just as bright and startling as the rest. Kagome waited for the driver to start the cab again after whatever congestion was passed.

Instead, he told her that they had arrived.

"Are you sure?" Kagome heard herself asking in quiet shock.

"Of course," the driver scoffed. "The address you gave me is the hottest and most exclusive night club in this part of town. I drive plenty of people here every night, just haven't seen many of your likes coming to this place."

"Oh," mouthed Kagome. She paid the driver and got out of the cab. Self-consciously, she adjusted her sweatpants and sweatshirt. She had planned on an all-night trip on the train, not spending any time in a night club.

Not that she actually had any clothes for a night club.

She was here to find Souta, she reminded herself sternly. She wouldn't know what kind of 'summer camp' involved this kind of night club--or any sort of night club--but she was determined to find her brother and haul his lazy behind back home.

How she appreciated the nice quiet of her shrine.

She sighed before she lifted her chin determinedly and walked into the club.

  


Most people called him Moon. 

Sesshoumaru himself liked it. At least, he preferred it to 'the great and almighty lord of the western lands' that his toady, Jaken, always called him.

Besides, it was a nice, easy name to remember, and a nice, easy name for the sluts to scream out in ecstasy and his enemies to shout out in horror. And it was nice to know that he was the last thought, the last image of some men who were stupid enough to try to maneuver him.

Sesshoumaru wasn't just one of the richest man in the world or one of the most powerful.

He was both. And more.

But here, and now, all he was, was the owner of the most extravagant and exclusive night club in this part of town. Even without looking through the single sided glass behind him, Sesshoumaru knew what he would be seeing: money changing hands, pills taken, and he knew for a fact that some people were right now contracting STDs.

The police knew all about it, too, but Sesshoumaru paid them too well for them to close down this night club. Or maybe it was the he posed too much of a threat to them.

No, the police were easy to handle; They were always such pushovers.

His current problem, at least part of it, lay huddled in a spineless heap in front of him. Souta Higurashi. The boy who knew too much.

Even worse, from what the boy had let slip, it seemed that his entire family knew this much. There was only one conclusion that Sesshoumaru could come to: the Higurashis needed to be eliminated. It was too dangerous for any human to have this much knowledge of youkai.

He had instructed Jaken to tell the boy's sister where to find the boy. Now, he steepled his fingers and waited for her to show up. Wondering just what kind of sister would this spineless brat have.

Just as Sesshoumaru began to tap his perfectly manicured foot in impatience, somebody burst through the door. A slender girl with pale skin, dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, completely at odds with the lurid outfits of those that danced below, beyond his one-sided glass window.

"Souta," she shouted, completely ignoring, or maybe simply failing to notice, Sesshoumaru. "You're _late_! Do you know how upset mother's going to be when I tell her about this? This isn't even a summer camp—it's a night club! A night club! And you are only fourteen!

"We are going to be so late," she finished miserably as she checked her watch again, as if hoping for a miracle that would slow down time. "No, we're not, actually, because we already missed the train."

Finally needing a breath, her bosom heaved as she inhaled loudly. Her blazing blue eyes narrowed at the boy, who seemed to gain a little bit of composure. "You are so dead, and you are going to be so sorry that you made mom waste even more money on two train tickets. We can't even cancel them and get partial refunds!"

"Sis," the boy hissed loudly, finally grabbing the girl's attention. She blinked twice, her blue eyes widening in confusion as she reoriented herself to the dim room, glancing at her surroundings for the first time.

"You shouldn't be here," Souta whispered again.

He was coming to realize the extent of his folly. Just a couple thousand yen, they had told him. There is a one in fifteen chance that you will win back ten times as much. It'd be good for your struggling family.

And he had believed them.

And he was here now. In front of Moon. And he knew that Moon wasn't named for the comforting rays that lit the night. It was for his silver hair that streamed down his back, not at all diminishing his potent masculinity and the tattoo of the crescent moon on his forehead. More, Moon meant the cool sliver of silver dagger that hung on the omnipotent sky. The one where clouds could hide, but not turn away. The sliver of dagger that would always be behind your back.

Even before Souta had been officially 'initiated' into the underground world, he had heard of Moon.

Crossing Moon was like crossing Death, and Souta had little doubt of his fate at this man's hands. But he refused to drag his family into it.

Especially his older sister, Kagome. Kagome, for as long as Souta could remember, was kind and warm. The job of a nurse suited her perfectly, and he could see her joy reflected in her face when she brings cheerfulness to the patients. Even Inuyasha, when Souta had first met him as a runaway, had been moved by Kagome's open generosity.

And if Moon didn't kill him, Souta thought Inuyasha might give it a try for getting Kagome into this situation.

"Neither should you," Kagome replied right back. She shot him another glare, which compared to Moon's cool glance, and although it would ordinarily have him anticipating a long, nagging scolding, this time, Souta could only be grateful that Kagome still had full functions of her body.

Kagome glanced at the man sitting behind the desk. She was surprised that he hadn't yet said a word. Then, she looked at him again.

Silver hair cascaded down his pale, defined face. Triangular slash markings covered his cheeks and a crescent moon was tattooed on his forehead. Mercurial golden orbs that were his eyes were staring right at her, startling in its cool intensity. Kagome couldn't quite tell with him sitting down, but he seemed tall, with his long arms and his compact torso.

But what gave pause was the aura that he exuded. It was... ruthless, sinister, and colder and more obvious than any that Kagome had ever sensed.

If what Grandfather said about her being a miko was ever true, this would be her sixth sense.

Suddenly unsure of herself, she smiled a bit lamely at the figure, knowing instinctively that he was in charge of the situation.

"Hi." She bolstered up her courage and forced a more cheerful, although just as rigid, smile on her face. Her voice seemed abnormally loud in the dark confines of the room. Didn't he need lights to see? "I am Kagome Higurashi."

She held up a hand for him to shake. When he lifted one of his perfectly manicured hands languidly, Kagome didn't know whether she should be relieved or not. For a moment, she had one crazy vision of the long, sharp, and perfect manicured nails slashing somebody's neck. Blood-red liquid gushed from the victim's cut, the color barely discernable under the pale light of the moon.

"I'm Moon," the man said, his voice a deep, smooth timber, running over her like the ice cold river in winter and drawing her away from her inane vision.

Not knowing what else to say, Kagome said, "Nice name." It was meant as a compliment.

When Moon responded with silence, Kagome forged ahead valiantly. "I'm Souta's older sister, and we really, really need to get back home now, or mom isn't going to be very happy."

Sesshoumaru noticed Souta's cringe. At least the boy had some sense of self-preservation, not that it would do him any good at this stage. Returning to the girl, he asked, "You do realize that he owes us, the company, an exorbitant amount of money." At her confused expression, he clarified, "From gambling."

"Oh," Kagome said, leveling another stern look at her brother. Then she asked, with just a trace of unease creeping into her voice. "How much?"

"About three hundred fifty thousand yen."

"Souta!" Kagome rounded on her brother again. "That's like... four months of mom's salary! How could you?"

Souta muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "But I only wanted to help."

Tightening her fists at her sides, Kagome got her temper under control again, just barely. And only because she knew just by looking at Moon's emotionless mask that most people call the face, she knew that no amount of anger would help.

"Maybe I could pay you back a bit every month? With interest?" Kagome would have to move back to the shrine and spend an extra two hours each day commuting, but if the debt was truly only three hundred fifty thousand yen, she could probably pay back within a year.

"And what guarantee do I have that you will once I let you leave here?" He countered coolly.

Kagome thought hard. "We could sign a contract."

Moon leaned forward, the shadows from his long hair cast shadows that hid his expression. But his voice sounded almost amused. "And have the police know that our place of gambling allows under-aged to gamble as well as violating several other laws?" He shook his head almost gravely. "I don't think so."

Kagome didn't know what to say about that. Despite her abhorrence to law-breaking, she knew that he had the upper-hand. And it was partly Souta's fault to gamble at all. A good reason to not let under-aged children gamble.

She shrugged. "Do you have any suggestions?"

His golden eyes gleamed up at her, as if finally catching her in a trap. "You could work. _Here._"

"For how long?" Kagome asked, a little suspiciously.

"Until you pay of your debt, shouldn't be more than several months."

"Doing what?"

"Oh, nothing illegal."

Kagome thought about it for a moment. "Will you let Souta go?"

"But of course." Moon's voice sounded almost sincere, but Kagome still felt ill-at-ease. "After all, you would be here, paying the debt."

Kagome thought about it some more. Finally, she came to the conclusion: she was an adult, and could handle herself, whereas Souta still needed to finish school. Just look at the mess he made by lying to them and gambling. She opened her mouth to agree, but was cut off vehemently by Souta.

"No," he shouted.

Sesshoumaru was almost intrigued to notice the sudden growth of a spine in the boy.

But the next moment, the boy sneaked a fearful glance at Sesshoumaru again, before whispering to his sister, "You can't. He's a youkai."

Moon was, but if the boy was in his right mind, the boy would have realized that Moon could hear every word that was being whispered. Youkai powers had its advantages.

"Souta," Sesshoumaru heard Kagome admonish. "I know that Jii-chan thinks that they are real, but they aren't. I mean, you haven't seen him turn into a big cat or something, have you?"

"No," the boy answered a bit reluctantly.

Sesshoumaru scoffed. Nobody wouldn't ever see him turn into a cat either; He was a dog demon.

Kagome patted Souta's shoulder. "It's okay. You'll see, everything will be okay." Then, she leveled Souta with a final glare. "As long as you don't gamble again." Then, gently, she helped Souta up to his feet and guided him toward the door. As a short nod from Sesshoumaru, Jaken began to lead the boy out. "Tell mom not to worry," Kagome said. "I'll see you soon."

_Soon._ Sesshoumaru almost smiled at how easy it was.

Kagome turned back to Sesshoumaru as the door clicked closed. He eyes couldn't see him very clearly in the dark, but he could see her. Not that she was much to look at with her disheveled hair and baggy clothing. Her only attractive feature was her eyes.

"I trust you will be true to your words," Kagome announced.

_And your trust is misplaced._ But aloud, Sesshoumaru only said, "Of course."

* * *

Tell me how I did... R/R 


	2. Chapter Two

**DISCLAIMER:**Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teenaged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.

**WARNINGS:** The following are warnings that I would like to state. If you worry about anything, just don't read the story.

1. I haven't watched Inuyasha in a long time, and my fanfics are based off of fanfics based off of fanfics. So, the characters probably are slightly OOC, especially to fit with the storyline that I want.

2. Note the rating. Please. In order to write the story that I would, there are going to be some parts that are especially gory or explicitly... graphic. If this offends your sensibilities, don't read.

**Author's Notes:** Yay! I have reviews. Thank you.

KougasGrl1188: I don't really know yet. So far, Kikyou's definitely going to be in the story, but I won't make her out to be as evil as a lot of the stories make her out to be. Or as slutty. She's just suspicious and jealous and all (you know, the bad childhood deal). I want to put Kouga and Hojo in there... but I doubt they will be serious competition for Sesshoumaru. And Naraku will probably just be the generic evil. He might even just be a group of people in my story, seeing as how Naraku is actually made of many, many youkai (icky). Rin... I'm going to try, but I really don't know yet. That's about it. Again, thanks for reviewing.

Also , I really don't know how the law is in Japan ... or America . So just go along with me for the purpose of this story. Much obliged.

Alright , 'nuff said. Read on, and hopefully enjoy. Don't forget to give me feed back!

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 10/14/04 

**Chapter Two**

_Of course you would trust me,_ Sesshoumaru meant.

When the girl's expressive face showed immediate relief, Sesshoumaru almost laughed aloud.

"But I don't want your parents to worry," Sesshoumaru continued smoothly.

"Okay..." Kagome didn't want her mom to worry either.

"So, you are going to call home and inform your parents that you are completely fine but that your trip back will be delayed."

Kagome perked up. She had been worried about that. "You mean I can call her?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

He stood up and swept his hand out towards the phone against the wall. But for some reason, made a mockery of the act of gallantry. Perhaps it was that he didn't bow at all, or the anpathy in his hard, golden eyes.

As Kagome walked towards the phone, he followed behind her.

"H-hi," Kagome stuttered as the phone connected and her mother's voice answered. She would have pinched herself for her stupid stutter, but Sesshoumaru was too close. It was all his fault anyway. 

Kagome faced the wall as she made the call, and Sesshoumaru stood close behind her. Too close behind her for her comfort. She could feel the heat of his body even though they were not touching. As well as the icy consistency of his spirit.

Kagome didn't even come up to Sesshoumaru's shoulders, and right now, sandwiched between the hard, muscled body and the wall, she wished for the miko powers that her grandfather had always claimed she had. At least, then, she wouldn't feel so... powerless.

"Kagome?" came her mother's startled reply. "Aren't you on the train with Souta?"

"Um... no..."

"Did something happen?"

"Souta's on the train," Kagome clarified quickly to save her mom from further distress. "I'm... uh... something came up."

"Oh my gosh!" Kagome didn't think that her mom was quite reassured with Kagome's vague explanation. "Tell me what happened. Do you need me to go to Tokyo?"

"It's nothing bad. Or serious. Just..." Silently, Kagome wondered why—oh why?—didn't she think of a good excuse before calling her mom.

"Did you get mugged?" Her mother asked.

"No," Kagome answered quickly. "Nothing like that."

"Did you get kidnapped? Do you want me to call the police?"

Kagome sighed. She wasn't going to be able to convince her mom.

On the other hand, she wanted to say, _ Yes, get me out of whatever mess this is._ Not quite sure what she was going to say yet, Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but she froze as she felt a cold tickle at the base of her neck. And then it turned to a prickle of pain.

With a shock, Kagome realized that a warm liquid was slowly trickling down, towards her collarbone.

Blood. Her blood.

She wanted to gulp away her fear, but was too scared to even do that.

Then, Sesshoumaru leaned down towards her, and Kagome stiffened up in apprehension. When his mouth reached her ear, he whispered in his low timber, "Don't."

A threat. And a promise.

In the next moment, the hot velvet of his tongue was on her cut, licking away the trickling blood. His teeth teased at her neck, causing Kagome to shiver.

Firmly, Kagome told herself that the shiver was from apprehension, and not from the strange tightening that was quickly unfurling in her belly.

"Kagome?" Her mother's voice came through the phone. Kagome almost dropped the phone from her surprise, and her knees almost buckled from the speed with which she came back from... whichever world she was in.

"Y-yes?" Kagome answered, this time, in addition to stuttering, her voice was also slightly hoarse, as if from a long period of disuse.

"Do you?" Her mom sounded worried now.

But Kagome, for the life of her, couldn't remember what her mom had asked her. It was important, she was sure, or her mom wouldn't sound so worried. But how was she supposed to answer a question that she didn't know?

Behind her, Sesshoumaru lifted up his head infinitesimally. "Say," he whispered, as if he knew exactly what went on in her mind. "'no, I just met an old acquaintance from high school here.'"

Kagome hesitated for only a moment. Half afraid of what Moon what do—that she wouldn't be able to avoid because he was so close—she repeated what he said. "No. I just met an old acquaintance from high school here. We're going to catch up."

Kagome held her breath as she waited to see if her mother accepted Moon's excuse.

"Oh," her mom said, much to Kagome's relief. "Is it Hojo? He's a nice boy and all, but I want you to know what you are doing. He's had a crush on you for a long time. I just want you to make sure that you don't encourage him unless you actually mean to encourage him."

"Uh... okay."

"Okay, then," cheerfulness returned to her mother's voice.

"Bye, mom. Love you. I'll see you later." At least Kagome's mind still functioned enough for her to say good bye.

"Sure. Bye, dear. I love you, too. Take care of yourself," her mother replied. Then, as an added though, her mom added, "I'll hear from you again in a couple of days."

And hung up the phone.

Kagome still held the phone to her ear as the click went off and there was a silence. She brought the phone in front of her face to inspect it before putting it down in its cradle.

Carefully, she maneuvered so that she turned around and faced Moon. As much as someone as short as her could face someone as tall as him.

She gulped. "I'm going to have to call her in another couple of days," she informed him. "She asked me to call and before I could tell her something else she hung up. So, I will have to use the phone again in a couple of days, and—"

"I heard," Sesshoumaru cut her off.

"Everything?" Squeaked Kagome.

"Everything."

Kagome's face fell. "Oh."

Sesshoumaru moved away reluctantly from Kagome as she sat back on the chair across of his desk. Instantly, he missed that pleasant waft of spring that Kagome seemed to emanate. And when his long, sharp nail had drew that thin line of blood, the explosion of fear and desire had been heady. But what he found most arousing was that subtle but unmistakable tang of innocence.

And he had barely suppressed a growl when his mind imagined the ways that that innocence could be shattered by him. And put back by him the way he wanted it. Like the fantastical stained-glass windows.

And her face... so expressive that even though he lacked the telepathic abilities of some youkai, he could tell her thoughts at any moment.

Right now, it was somewhere between startled and fearful.

And he needed to give her something to do as he finalized his plan for how to deal with the Higurashis.

Sesshoumaru looked Kagome over again, critically, this time. She lacked the fashionable anemic body type, but the softness of her curves held a different sort of appeal. The graceful way she moved, too, would be an asset if she was to be a professional dancer for the club.

Officially, the last professional dancer had simply stopped showing up for work. Sesshoumaru had planned on getting a replacement anyway.

Part of the problem, though, would be persuading Kagome to do it. He didn't imagine her to be the sort of girl who would stand on a stage and flaunt herself as she slowly undressed to the tens, maybe even hundreds, of rowdy and half-drunk spectators leering at her.

A flash of sudden... anger?... rose up in him as he considered the hypothetical scene. No, Kagome was as yet untouched, a piece of pure and unblemished glass. The shattering of the glass had to be done just right, or the beauty of the stained glass would be marred forever. The initiation would be done by him, Sesshoumaru decided. After all, he was a master of the intimate dances.

Sesshoumaru planned to shatter the glass of innocence, but he needed it done just the way he wanted it, so that all the pieces of her personality that he liked would be left intact and the rest will be removed.

But that meant he would need her near him to coax her into accepting him willingly.

"You will be my personal maid," he decided.

Kagome looked around, as if double-checking that she, indeed, was the one spoken to. "But... I'm sure that your current one does a much better job."

He had no maid at the moment. Aloud, he asked mildly, "Would you rather be a exotic dancer for the club?"

Kagome couldn't tell if he was serious from his stoic expression. She blanched.

"Never mind, I wasn't serious." Sesshoumaru waved it off with a slight movement. Mentally, he reminded himself that Kagome was unlike the women—both human and youkai—that he normally dealt with.

"Oh." She seemed to be properly shocked anyway. She made a quick comeback, though, saying, "I suppose that since I'm the one that owe you money, I'll do whatever you want me to."

_Whatever you want me to_. Now there was a reckless statement, or just an ignorant one, if Sesshoumaru ever heard one, and he had heard many statements after living for several hundred years.

Kagome seemed to realize her mistake, too. "That's legal," she amended.

The poor girl thought strip dancing was illegal.

* * *

Tell me how I did... R/R 


	3. Chapter Three

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teen aged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.

**WARNINGS:** The following are warnings that I would like to state. If you worry about anything, just don't read the story.

1. I haven't watched Inuyasha in a long time, and my fanfics are based off of fanfics based off of fanfics. So, the characters probably are slightly OOC, especially to fit with the story line that I want.

2. Note the rating. Please. In order to write the story that I would, there are going to be some parts that are especially gory or explicitly... graphic. If this offends your sensibilities, don't read.

**Author's Notes:** More reviews! Yay... so I'm thinking that if I waited a couple more days, maybe I'll get even more reviews for the second chappie...

Okay, so the story is a little slow... and I'm trying to get the action up. And inuyasha-n-kagome-rox142, I am putting a bit of Souta and Inuyasha and I'm thinking even Kouga and Naraku... if not this chappie, then certainly next chappie.

Also, I have most of the story plotted out all in my head, but I need to figure out how to work it out on paper (or the screen, in this case).

And if you don't remember, Ginta and Hakkaku are members of Kouga's tribe in the canon universe. They play a similar sort of role in this story.

Hope you keep on enjoying the story.

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 10/22/04 

**Chapter Three**

Sesshoumaru felt a melding as her blood dripped into the cup with his in what he had told her was a purely ritualistic ceremony to seal 'underground deals' with no actual effects. Because she was human, she would not feel the bond or realize its significance; but the blood bond was one of the strongest.

Pouring the blood into the potted plant on his desk, he solidified the link. "We are bound now," he announced to her.

Kagome nodded. She thought it was just formalizing a contract, but he knew that he could track her to almost anywhere now, unless another youkai cloaked her in his youki.

Sesshoumaru doubted that a human would know very many youkai.

"So I'll be your personal maid starting today until I pay off the debt," Kagome's conclusion drew back Sesshoumaru's attention. "I'm Kagome Higurashi. And you are?" Kagome held out her hand as she smiled in a friendly manner.

Sesshoumaru considered reminding her that he was Moon. But he wasn't. And for some absurd reason--or instinct--he wanted her to know him as he was, without the fancy games. He almost smiled at the hypocrisy of that statement.

"Sesshoumaru," he offered as he took her hand and gave a light shake. He didn't even draw blood or break bones as he usually did with those impertinent enough to hint at initiating physical contact with him.

However, he did massage her palm lightly, tickling the soft center of her hand with the slight twirl with the pad of his finger, as he let go. A pretty blush lit up her cheeks immediately.

It was refreshing change from eyes glittering with lust.

"She's kidnapped," Inuyasha heard Souta state flatly as he was about to enter the Higurashi house. He had to run up more then a hundred steps to reach the house, which was right next to the shrine that the Higurashi family had always kept.

"No, she's not," Mrs. Higurashi's voice calmly refuted Souta's claim. "She just called me several days ago. She's with Hojo there. Or somebody."

"Hojo's human," Souta pointed as if Hojo should be a robot or a hairless ape who was extremely small. "She's with a youkai."

"Souta," Mrs. Higurashi admonished. "Just because Inuyasha is a youkai doesn't mean that they're everywhere."

Inuyasha chose that moment to open the door and let himself in. "They are everywhere," he corrected quite rudely in his Inuyasha fashion.

"Oh dear." Mrs. Higurashi paused in her cooking. "Does that mean that she's in danger?" Then, more quietly, to herself, she murmured, "I wonder why she would lie about it."

Souta stared at the ground near his feet and remained silent.

Fortunately for him, Mrs. Higurashi didn't expect an answer.

"Hey, Inu-no-nii-chan, do you know if Moon's really dangerous to Sis?"

"Keh, why would I know him?" Inuyasha sniffed the air several times as his feet followed the guidance of his olfactory sense to the soup that was stewing on the counter top.

"Well, aside from that even I have heard _of_ him, he kinda looked like you," Souta answered speculatively. "He has silver hair and gold eyes and long nails like yours. He was taller than you, though, a lot taller. And not nearly as friendly as you."

Inuyasha thought for a moment, and then let out a stream of extremely colorful expletives that Mrs. Higurashi didn't admonish because she couldn't understand them at the speed Inuyasha doled them out. He shouted, "Sesshoumaru? You left your sister with Sesshoumaru?"

Faced with Inuyasha's agitated response, Souta cringed. All Souta said was, "So you do know him."

"Of course I know him. He's a fucking bastard."

"Oh."

"Please speak politely, Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi admonished gently.

"Is she going to get hurt?" Souta asked, guilt creeping into his voice.

Inuyasha snorted. "Not physically, probably, because there's so much he can do just breaking her spirit. But then, he's Sesshoumaru, and who knows."

Souta's eyes widened. "Then we have to save her."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "I really hope that you're just exaggerating. But please at least eat lunch before you leave for Tokyo. Besides, I have to order the tickets."

"Hey, why do I have to go?" Inuyasha asked belligerently.

When Mrs. Higurashi turned around and gave him a look, though, he quickly relented. He held up his hands in front of him. "Okay, okay, I'll go, alright? But she's really not my problem and I _really, really_ don't like him and you guys better remember that I did this as a favor."

A smile returned to Mrs. Higurashi's visage. She brought the food to the table as she announced, "Lunch, boys."

  


  
Sesshoumaru was looking at some papers at his desk as Kagome tip-toed her way into his office with a tray of hot tea. She tried to be as quiet as she could, not wanting to disturb whatever work he was immersed in. 

"Come help me choose one," he requested evenly, suddenly, and without looking up.

Kagome squeaked in surprise but managed to hold onto the tray of tea. She gave up subtlety as she marched up to his desk.

Several different profiles lay on his desk with photos attached to each. Resumes, Kagome thought, so he really needed to hire people and he wasn't just making her do a job because he knew she would have a hard time paying him back. Kagome didn't like charity.

He motioned for her to come nearer. He asked her, "Who do you think is the prettiest?"

"Me?" Kagome looked closely at each of the six pictures. What had appeared to be perfect skin and big, bright eyes now seemed like cheap makeup under close scrutiny. "I'm not sure I would call any of them pretty," she replied slowly. "What position are they applying for?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. Compared to Kagome, none of them had the expressive eyes or the proud carriage of her body. Even with their tiny waists and enlarged chests, any man with eyes--and many more without--would choose Kagome.

"Stripper," he answered her.

"B-but..." Kagome sputtered. "It's..."

"...not illegal as long as he or she is over eighteen and consents to it," Sesshoumaru finished for her, smirking at her outraged expression. "They are the ones who applied." He leaned back and settled more comfortably in his chair.

"You put an ad on... a newspaper? For this kind of job? They have ads like this for the public? What if a little kid reads it?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Magazines. And ones little kids wouldn't read."

"Oh."

"So who should I pick?"

"You're asking me?"

Sesshoumaru nodded once. He was curious as to who Kagome would pick to consign, as she thought of it, into such a horrible situation. But she didn't know that the tips at this night club would be a lot high than whichever one the dancer was working at right now. A couple of them, he knew, were in between jobs, and making a living doing... other things.

"I don't think you should have... dancers," Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru barely held back a smile at her prim tone. "But I have to," he said.

"No, you don't," Kagome shot him a glance.

Sesshoumaru looked up at her face, frowning and all. Her eyes spoke of pity and disapproval, and he wasn't quite sure which was directed at who. And a trace of sadness, too, as if the world had become darker since her new knowledge.

He sighed. It was better than she learnt the fact of the world as a mere fact than if she had experienced it herself.

He had once been naive and idealistic, too, about the land and the world. But he had gotten over than centuries ago.

And it was not like him to reminiscent about the past.

All he needed to do was to succeed in the present.

Abruptly, he cut off his reminiscence. He placed his hands on his desk and stood up, his chair rolling towards the window down to the night club behind him. "We are going out," he announced.

Fortunately, Kagome had already placed the tea on his desk. "What?" Her voice pitched high in reflex of startledness. "Why?"

He pointedly scrutinized her, from her down to her toe. Kagome fidgeted from the silence and the intensity of the scrutiny. "You need more suitable attire."

"Oh." Kagome had to concede that within the walls overfilled with blaring music and garish people, her casual sweatshirt and sweat pants probably looked out-of-place. Besides, from the paintings and sculptures in the room, Kagome could tell that Sesshoumaru was a very refined person--youkai, whatever--in his tastes. He probably frowned in distaste every time he laid eyes on her clothes.

Just then, another thought occurred to her: What if he expected her to dress like the women who _worked_ in the club? There was no way she was going to wear such vulgar clothing.

She must have frowned in her hesitation, because his cold voice assured her, "You will have the choice of what to wear, as long as I approve of it."

That sentence sounded a little muddled to Kagome, but the first part sounded good. She nodded in acquiescence.

  


  
Kagura watched as Ginta and Hakkaku watched Sesshoumaru watch the human walking beside him who didn't watch, but couldn't help notice, the thrones of women ogling Sesshoumaru. 

In the dim lighting that Kagome had first met Sesshoumaru, she had been so spitting mad at Souta that she had failed to pay close attention to Sesshoumaru. But even then, she had had the strong impression of power and danger and a certain ruthlessness to his set.

Now, though, under the full glorious rays of the sun, Kagome trailed slightly behind Sesshoumaru, and she couldn't help but notice how the clothing hugged his body, revealing tantalizing hints of the compact muscle beneath it. The fabric was a mix of a pale white and macabre designs of flashy red and gloomy black, only emphasizing his lurid nature.

But it was just that feral bad boy aura to him that drew all the women towards him. Even Kagome, who had always steered away from people like him, felt a morbid fascination. The women who paused in their walking when they caught sight of Sesshoumaru, and then turned their heads, once, twice, and then thrice only to find that they are not yet satisfied--they disturbed Kagome even more.

Kagome had never truly understood the lure of danger until now, and she almost... _almost_ regretted agreeing to stay work for him.

Although, she couldn't have simply left her kid brother in that kind of an atmosphere, and besides, he had not yet done anything to truly warrant her dislike. Other than his sanctioning of the club, that was. But he really could've forced her to become an exotic dancer, and he didn't.

Still, a larger part of _that _could have been attributed to her lack of appeal.

She glanced up at Sesshoumaru as he stopped in front of a store. An expensive brand name store for women's clothing.

Carefully and a bit trepidaciously, she peered inside the store without actually setting foot in the store. When Sesshoumaru led her forward into the store, she remained outside, and asked in a little voice, "Here?"

Sesshoumaru gave a barely discernible nod. Kagome took it as permission for her to enter the store.

He had been almost amused to note her apprehension. It was just a store, and not even one of the most exclusive ones. But it had been obvious from her reaction that she probably shopped at the least expensive stores. No wonder her clothes reeked of bad taste.

Ok, maybe not horrendous taste, Sesshoumaru conceded, but only because nothing less than heavy blankets could cover up the curvaceous figure of hers or the shine of her spirit that shone so freely from her every action and expression.

Blankets. Kagome. Sesshoumaru felt himself stiffen at the sudden image of Kagome lying in nothing but tousled blankets, glimpses her flawlessly white skin--and with his experience with women, he knew just by looking--showing where the blanket failed to cover her.

His jaw tightened imperceptibly and forced himself to remain his impassive expression.

Sesshoumaru would not want; He demanded and he got and others would be him, but Sesshoumaru had no weaknesses to exploit, and that included hopes, dreams, and wants.

A lady walked toward them, in a sleek black suit and classy shoes. Her perusal of Sesshoumaru was filled with female appreciation and not a very subtle hint.

Kagome felt embarrassed for the woman.

Sesshoumaru, though, appeared not to notice.

The woman smiled coquettishly to him as she offered, "How may I help you?"

"I'd like you to find a suitable outfit for her." He waved in the general area behind him where Kagome stood.

The woman looked over Kagome, as if just noticing her, and then dismissed her almost immediately, as if she was not worth even a single piece of clothing in the store. Then, the woman turned, her heels clicking on the floor. Kagome assumed that the woman meant to lead her to a section of the store where the clothes might fit her more--although she seriously doubted any of the clothes in the store was to her syle--and followed awkwardly.

Ginta and Hakkaku waited discreetly outside the store, reasoning that since the store only had one public entrance, Moon would have to exit the same way he entered. They were a bit surprised to see woman-child with him, though. 

Despite the months that they have spent trailing him--at a careful distance because they knew his sensitivity to his surroundings--they have yet to see him walk about with a woman other than Kagome.

Out of his office. Plenty of women walked with him into his hotel or the bathroom of a dimly lit restaurant or the back room of his own nightclub. But they never walked out with him, and never from his personal areas such as his office.

But she didn't look like a prize at all.

In fact, she didn't look much like the women that Sesshoumaru ordinarily had contact with at all: she had no financial backing, no social status, and definitely no sex appeal.

Which was probably why, they realized as they spied on Sesshoumaru walking out of the story with Kagome trailing behind him.

After few fittings that consisted of various shades of black and skirts and shirts too short or too low or too tight, Kagome was handed a new wardrobe. She had worried about the additional debt that she now owed to Sesshoumaru, but since he had asked--demanded, really--without a single inflection in his voice, that her old clothing be trashed, she had little choice but to wear her new clothing.

Kagome walked three steps and then skipped one in order to keep up with Sesshoumaru's long strides in her high heels. She remembered why she almost never wore her own pair of high heels.

And as she walked, she resisted the urge to fiddle with her clothing. Stupid black clothing. Couldn't they have given her more colorful ones? She supposed not, since the store sold hardly more than two pieces of non-black clothing.

Suddenly, she felt a hand cover her mouth and a hand on each of her arms, hauling her away from Sesshoumaru and whisking her away.

Behind her, where Kagome couldn't see, Ginta and Hakkaku nodded to each other.

Now, too, as they saw Kagome in her new dress, displaying her nicely curved waist and shapely legs, they understood--or thought they understood, at least--why Moon kept her around.

They snickered to themselves. Who said that the enjoyments of lords were too good for the common man? They could already imagine the fulfilling night in front of them.

Sesshoumaru noticed too late that Kagome was gone from his side; He had been too busy trying to avoid looking at her. 

If he didn't avoid looking at her, all he would have noticed would be her curved body, begging to be touched and her long legs that he could just see curling around his waist. And despite Kagome's obvious discomforture with the color as well as the clothing itself, the black brought out the ebony in her silky hair, slightly toussled from the wind during their walk.

The silky mane which he barely succeeded in refraining from gathering in his hands and running his fingers through.

Because he didn't want just her body, he wanted her complete surrender. He wanted to triumph over her annoying naivety and innocence. He wanted her to know and consent to what they were doing as he was destroying her purity.

No, he was a refined man, who made everything into a fine art. Including sadism.

* * *

I'm thinking of putting a hot and heavy scene between Sesshoumaru and Kagura in the next chapter. But I don't think I'm going to have to use a lot of euphemisms if I do it on , so I might post a slightly different version elsewhere. Don't know where yet. 

And yes, it is Kagome/Sesshoumaru.

Reviews, reviews, reviews... _please?_


	4. Chapter Four

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teen aged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.

**WARNINGS:** The following are warnings that I would like to state. If you worry about anything, just don't read the story.

Note the rating. Please. In order to write the story that I would, there are going to be some parts that are especially gory or explicitly... graphic. If this offends your sensibilities, don't read.

**Author's Notes:** Somebody asked me if I could email them when the next chappie comes out. The answer is yes, I'd love to. And so, now, you can get emails when new chappies get out, too. Just leave a review with your email and tell me that you'd like me to email you about updates.

There is _not_ a different version, since I'm really too lazy to edit--and if you really don't want to read something skip it yourself, because I'm actually not very clear on the difference between the various ratings.

Also, I do apologize for the slowness of this chapter... but school has been getting harder and harder and this chapter is slightly longer than the rest. So... yeah.

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 11/2/04 

**Chapter Four**

A part of Sesshoumaru was surprised at how angry he became when he couldn't feel where Kagome was. The other part of Sesshoumaru simply didn't care.

And both of those parts knew that another youkai had taken Kagome, because only youki could conceal Kagome's whereabouts from the blood bond and from Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru continued walking and kept his face impassive; It wouldn't do for whoever still remained to notice the depth of his anger. And he could smell the youki of another youkai around him.

It was a she-youkai.

Sesshoumaru stopped in the street momentarily, and the she-youkai stopped, too.

Quietly, he growled, "Where is she?"

"I didn't take her," came the reply. Sesshoumaru could smell the disgusting smell of the she-youkai in heat. Even without his olfactory sense, he would have been able to see from the glitter in her eyes that she wanted him. This was a game he knew how to play well.

"Who took her?"

"Somebody or other. They looked familiar, but I can't seem to recall from where."

Sesshoumaru turned and walked away without another word.

But just as he knew she would, she ran after him, her breathing heavy even though he had been only walking. One of her hands with blood-red fingernails clasped at his arm, and made as if to tickle him. A coy smile was on her face, "But if you give me enough incentive..." She left off the end of the sentence meaningfully.

He headed across the street towards the hotel he owned under another name.

* * *

"Why do we have to stay _here_?" Inuyasha asked belligerently, when he and Souta arrived at Kohaku's house. 

"_Because_," Souta answered for what seemed like the thousandth time, "neither you or me have the money to stay in a hotel."

"Keh, we wouldn't need to pay for Sesshoumaru's hotel."

"We don't need to pay for this either, and we don't lose the advantage of surprising him. Just be nice," Souta reiterated as he rung on the doorbell.

It had been about three years since Kohaku and her sister had moved away from the house next to the shrine. They had been orphaned when Kohaku was only six, right around the age when Souta had lost his father, too. Because of financial difficulties, Kohaku and his older sister Sango had moved next to the shrine.

Three years ago, Sango had successfully graduated and started working as a nurse in Tokyo. In order for her to commute easier, she had moved to Tokyo with Kohaku.

The door opened to a boy Souta's age and slightly shorter, and of a more slim build. Souta had always been slightly taller than Kohaku, for as long as he could remember, but Kohaku had always carried the kusari-gama, a sickle attached to a long metal chain, and the few times that Souta had caught Kohaku practicing it left no doubt in Souta's mind as to Kohaku's ability for self-defense.

The kusari-gama was on Kohaku's back now.

"Hi, Souta," Kohaku greeted after he recovered from his surprise. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure, thanks." Souta reflected that he probably should have called in advance, but he really hadn't been thinking at that time--except that he needed to save Kagome from Moon's clutches.

Souta gestured at Inuyasha, "This is Inuyasha, and this is Kohaku, a childhood friend. We used to be neighbors."

Kohaku smiled politely. "Please sit. Do you want anything to drink?"

Souta threw himself down on the couch and Inuyasha sat down more carefully. "Just water's fine." When Inuyasha didn't say anything, Souta added, "for both of us."

Kohaku nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.

Souta would have thought that Kohaku would have opened up more, but he had become even more reticent than how Souta remembered him. Souta knew what the death of one parent can do to a child, but he felt that he had mostly recovered already, and had certainly been getting better over the years.

Kohaku came back carrying a tray with three glasses of water. He placed on glass in front of Souta and another in front of Inuyasha, whose ears twitched at that moment, and placed the third glass in front of himself before he took away the tray and seated himself across from Inuyasha and Souta.

Kohaku smiled slightly. "Is this just a social call?" He asked. "Or do you need a favor?"

Souta felt himself blush. "A favor," he answered truthfully. "Um... well..." Souta tried to find a good way of saying it, but there was no good way. He plunged ahead anyway. "To make a long story short, my sister is kinda in trouble, and we are here to help her, but we don't have a place to stay, so..."

"You can stay over here with my sister and me. My sister's not in anyway," Kohaku offered immediately.

Souta felt himself release a sigh of relief. "Thanks," he said.

"So who is she in trouble with?"

"This guy... called Moon..." Despite the many things that came to mind, Souta didn't really know how to describe him.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha corrected, speaking for the first time. "I know him, and he's a fucking bustard."

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" a girl's voice came from the staircase that neither Souta nor Inuyasha had noticed earlier. "He's very nice. Rin loves Sesshoumaru-sama."

The girl entered the living room, wearing a pretty dress with floral patterns. "Rin," Kohaku introduced, "my girlfriend. Rin, this is Kohaku, an old friend and neighbor, and this is his acquaintance Inuyasha."

"I am more than an acquaintance," Inuyasha corrected. "I'm their old friend, too."

Kohaku ignored Inuyasha. He sat next to Rin on the couch and linked hands with her. "They are worried about their sister who is with Sesshoumaru," he explained the situation to Rin.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama would never hurt another soul," Rin exclaimed. At Souta and Inuyasha's unbelieving expressions, she added, "but if you are still worried--which you have no reason to--I can arrange a meeting between you and him."

"Sesshoumaru is Rin's legal guardian," Kohaku explained.

Before Inuyasha could say anything demeaning, Souta answered quickly, "Sure, that'd be a great help."

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered anyway. "Whatever."

"Rin, they are going to stay overnight. I'm going to show them where they can stay."

"Okay," Rin said, and flashed a brief smile at the two guests before promptly leaving the living room again.

"This way," said Kohaku as he led them upstairs to their room. "You are going to have share a room because we only have two guest bedrooms and Rin is in one of them."

* * *

Kikyou could feel it. 

The blood bond echoed loudly in her blood again, and she froze where she was for a full minute before she came back to reality. Thank goodness she was simply sitting on a bench. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if she was about to get on a bus or something.

She would have thought that after his betrayal and abandonment, the bond would have at least lessened if not disappeared altogether, but it seemed that when the ancient text said "for all eternity," it had meant "for all eternity" and not just when the two people harbored friendly feelings towards each other.

Kikyou almost worried about if even in her next life, without any memory of Inuyasha, she would still be able to feel the bond to him, and somehow feel as if they should be together.

_Don't be absurd,_ she berated herself. _It's simply the bond pulling us. It has nothing to do with what we actually think or feel._

But still, Kikyou could feel herself slipping into memories of a time that had once been, of when she had belonged and felt loved and cherished. Of memories of sharing apples of under cherry trees and strong arms that caught her falls. Of youthful blushes and embarrassed stutters. Of a time when the heart was filled with inexplicable joy and a more subtle sense of calm happiness.

But he had betrayed her. Abandoned her. One day he had been there and the next he was gone. All without a single word to her.

And she had stayed here all those years, almost as if she wanted to be around the shadow of his lingering ghost. As if some stupid part that she hadn't been able to quiet wished and waited for him to come back and to explain that it was all a misunderstanding and that he still and always had loved her.

Kikyou wondered if Inuyasha could feel the pull of the bond. And if it pulled as strongly on him and it did on her.

He probably didn't even know that he had a blood bond with her. It was one of the few things that she had done that had she had kept secret from him. It wasn't even as if she had done it on purpose. They had both been bleeding form the battle, and their blood had simply mixed.

No, he probably didn't feel it, being the obtuse man that he was, and she won't disturb him, since he probably didn't come to Tokyo to find her anyway. But the bond pulled at her and her curious shouted to be satisfied.

Kikyou made a concession to herself: She would see how Inuyasha's doing, but she wouldn't intrude on his life.

And with the blood bond, she knew she could find him in no time.

* * *

In the hotel room that Sesshoumaru had led Kagura to, he waited as she clicked shut the door. He saw the lust in her eyes as she let her eyes blatantly rove over his compact body. 

"Tell me," he commanded quietly.

She looked up at him through obviously fake eyelashes that batted coquettishly. Her saccharine voice coy, she asked, "Why should I?"

He knew her type, with a fashionably skinny waist and a tousle of hair the color of the darkest midnight. She would be chased after by men begging like puppies. But Sesshoumaru felt no desire, even as he looked at her feverish red eyes, but he could smell her desire and knew what she wanted.

He took a small step towards her, backing her up against the wall. "Because I can give you what you want."

It was an invitation that she responded to instantly. Her red fingernail traced the centerline of his chest as it slid through his shirt. She shivered slightly as she moved onto her tiptoes to like his neck.

She got too close when she paused over his jugular. He didn't like his women that intimate. Or aggressive.

Without a word, his impassive expression unchanging, he pushed her away, turned her around, and slammed her into the wall. He pinned her down with his hands and crowded against her. Next to her ear, he asked in_ sotto voce_, "Tell me." He gave a warning nip to her ear. "I know what you want and I can give it to you."

With an extended claw, Sesshoumaru raked the skin on her smooth back, drawing a crimson line from her right shoulder blade, and followed the curved contour of the artificial body down to her buttocks half way around. He let the toxins leak into his nails. The woman deserved it for trying to play with him.

Then he stopped, neither lifting his hand nor continuing with his exploration. He simply didn't move at all, except to ask her, "Tell me."

She closed her eyes, shielding him from the view of her dilated pupils. Her breathing was ragged and her expression one of intense pain... or pleasure. "Please," she panted softly. "Please."

Behind her, where she could not see, a cold, amused smile appeared on Sesshoumaru's face. His nails piercing her skin, he crushed her hips in his hand as he moved forward and in in one smooth stroke. His other hand was on her breast, kneading it and teasing it and bruising it.

"Tell me," he demanded again in a soft lover's murmur even as he started moving slowly. He could feel her muscles bunching up and that was when he chose to stop.

"Moon," Kagura pleaded, barely managing to get the syllable out. "Moon."

"You know. Tell me."

"Moon," Kagura pleaded again. When he remained still, she shouted uncharacteristically. "It's Kouga. Kouga. Now... please."

With a savage growl, Sesshoumaru bit on Kagura's shoulder, almost spraying blood. His hand drew a symmetrical line down the left side of her back before he started pumping into her again. It was mere seconds before she spent herself as Sesshoumaru forced himself to let go.

Kagura collapsed towards him, but he stepped back before they could touch again, and she ended up as a crumple on the floor.

Sesshoumaru wiped himself on his destroyed shirt and threw the shirt into the garbage. Then, he stepped over Kagura as he left the room.

And although Sesshoumaru was physically spent, he could still feel the frustration in him. His only relief was that Kagura--if she had any sense of self-preservation--would never bother him again. Even if the toxins in his nails didn't kill her, she would have scars where he drew blood. And if she was at all intelligent, she would remember where not to go when she searched for for her next episode of entertainment.

And all Sesshoumaru could feel was his unusual anger at Kouga.

Sesshoumaru knew Kouga, and had warned him before. This time, though, Kouga seriously encroached on Sesshoumaru's territory.

Kagome was his, Sesshoumaru thought tightly. She was his to hurt and to kill, and Kouga overstepped his bounds when he laid his hands on Kagome. Kouga, Sesshoumaru vowed, would pay whatever damage he did to Kagome in tenfold.

Sesshoumaru's movements were controlled and precise as he walked out of his hotel. An eerie red and yellow color that didn't quite mix completely burned in his eyes.

* * *

"You really shouldn't," Ginta told Hakkaku. 

Kagome paused in her struggle against the rope that bound her to the pole that was in the middle of a very bare and dim basement. She supposed it was the haunt of this 'wolf prince' that the pair had mentioned continuously.

If it weren't for the disgusting gag that they had stuffed into her mouth, Kagome would have offered her own vehement response to what the pair were doing with her.

"So," Hakkaku shrugged. "It's not like we're killing her. We're just priming her up for the prince." He turned to the other men, all dressed in rags and laying hazardly on the floor. "What do you say to that, boys?"

One of those men--who didn't look very companionable--walked up to Kagome and wrapped a strand of her hair around his hand. He leered at her. "She looks delicioius."

Hakkaku nodded. "Don't you want to prime her up for the prince?"

The man's hand was surely going to leave bruises as he grabbed her chin forcefully. "Oh, yeah. She's a nice catch."

Much to Kagome's apprehension, the other men around the room seemed to be gravitating towards her. One of the men pulled at her new black t-shirt and the threads gave easily, leaving her in her bra.

"You don't need that," he man said negligently as he pulled the bra off of Kagome, too.

A third man had somehow relieved Kagome of her skirt, and was now palming at her bottom.

Kagome threw her head around, and would have screamed in a deafening pitch had she not been gagged. She had known that Tokyo was dangerous, and Sesshoumaru's club had, in truth, more than a little disgusted her righteous sense of morality, but this... this was beyond perverse... that was what Kagome thought only happened to people on the television.

Briefly, a detached part of Kagome wondered if her body would be on the news when it was found.

Kagome had a strong urge to close her eyes, but she was _not_ going to let them abuse her passively. She forced strength into her legs as she kicked violently and with no direction or skill at all.

And even if she was to die--or if she would somehow survive this miraculously--she was going to come back and get them each individually until they wished they were in hell.

She ground her teeth and felt her jaw tightening against the wave of unconsciousness that promised to take her to a world without any feelings, where she could be dead and dumb to it all. But Kagome was a fighter.

And though she felt dirty and disgusting as they touched her everywhere, she refused to give up.

At least Ginta stood to the side, looking as if he had no idea what to do. So perhaps the world wasn't entirely dark even in the darkest recesses.

But even as Kagome fought to stay in the present and not let them do whatever they wanted with her, she could feel the bile rise from her stomach. In the next moment, the acidic contents that had just recently been in her stomach was spewed onto the man right in front of her.

"You bitch," he spat on her, backhanding her with a slap.

Kagome's eyes closed as her face jerked from the slap. Tears threatened from the sting of her cheek. She bit down hard on the gag to stop her tears.

In her shame and anger and fear, though, Kagome felt a strange sort of power well up from her anger from within her, almost overtaking all her other thoughts.

But just as Kagome felt that she could longer hold back the wave of impulsiveness--for she had no idea what she would do if she did give in to the recklessness--something wet and warm spattered against her cheek and the eyelids over her closed eyes.

If it weren't for the gag, Kagome's scream would have been piercing, but as it was, she only let out a shriek as she opened her eyes to the carnage in front of her.

Even in the dim basement, under the florescent lights, she could see the blood, dripping and seeping ominously. The man who had been in front of her--whom she had indeed wished death upon--was now dead. Kagome couldn't see where the head was anymore; It could have rolled into one of the dark corners, or judging by the pile of the dark... mush, it could simply have been crushed and sliced and thrown into what had been a man mere seconds earlier.

The room had become strangely silent, and the usually light humming of the florescent lights seemed unnaturally loud.

And in all the dim lighting and dark clothing and dirt-covered skin, Kagome, in a detached sort of way, saw a man who stood in front her with the mien of a lord, and whose very beauty made him like an angel.

His long, silver hair seemed to have barely settled, and the air current caught soft strands and swayed them slightly. His pale face and immaculate clothing were completely out of place, the brightness seemed to create a glow around him. Yet, his face had a hard set to it and could challenge--and probably win--any other man who was in the room.

And his eyes... his golden eyes glinted with a suppressed fury that came not at all from heaven.

Not a person moved a Sesshoumaru stepped forward towards Kagome. His padded footsteps echoed loudly off the bare walls.

He stopped in front of Kagome and with a single slash of his clawed hand, he cut her gag as well as the ropes that bound her to the pole.

Weak with shock and relief, Kagome felt her knees give out beneath her. But his arms caught her easily, effortlessly, and almost gently.

Sesshoumaru placed his other arm under Kagome's knees as he lifted her up. Without sparing a glance at any of the men that laid, strewn around the room, he walked straight toward the door. At the door, he left his only warning, "Be glad that you prince has not condoned his actions."

Then, he walked out, with Kagome in his hands, and started walking running back to his apartment--and hers for the period of time that she would be working for him. A slight spell insured that people wouldn't question them.

She was so light in his arms. And warm. But he hated how she quivered, even if the fear wasn't from him... especially if the fear wasn't from him. If it hadn't been so urgent to remove her from the scene and calm her down, Sesshoumaru would have gladly killed every single one of those pitiful wolves until the only thing left of them were splatters of blood.

But Kagome was more important. Sesshoumaru didn't want her... broken. He liked the spirit in her eyes, and he intended to harness that same spirit himself.

He _would_ not let another break it.

As he ran near his apartment, he felt Kagome relax slowly within his arms. She trusted him, and Sesshoumaru couldn't refrain from smiling.

It was a sardonic smile, he reassured himself.

When finally he entered the room that was her room, he almost loathed to give up her up to the bed and return the his usual business.

But he was a rational man, and there was no purpose for him to remain there with her any longer.

* * *

Kagome stirred back to wakefulness as she felt the warmth that surrounded her starting to pull away. After everything that happened, she could hardly believe that she had actually dozed away, but Sesshoumaru's boa, which she still had no idea why he wore, was so soft and she had been tired and it had been too hard to resist. 

Besides, after seeing his cold expression that had made the bad men become silent in terror, Kagome had, for some reason, become even more assured that she would never be hurt while he was around.

She thought wistfully that maybe he was that light even in the darkest of darkness.

But the warmth that surrounded her was leaving, and without even opening her eyes, Kagome tightened her hand on the thick folds of clothing. He gently placed a cool, smooth hand on top of hers, as if to pry her hand away.

Kagome took the opportunity to burrow deeper into his warmth. "Please," she whispered, half hoping that he would hear and half hoping that he wouldn't. "Please don't leave. I'll..." Kagome gulped. "I'll have nightmares if you leave me all alone here."

After a frozen moment, Sesshoumaru's hand squeezed hers almost imperceptibly. She felt the bed beside her dip before she snuggled closer to him. With Sesshoumaru there beside her, Kagome felt so safe, as if nothing would be able to hurt her.

* * *

I'm trying to weave more threads into the story... but I'm not sure if it's working. 

Also, I need a beta reader who can tell me when something doesn't make sense, when I'm being inconsistent with myself/the anime, knows how to use the change tracking thing in Word, and have a turnaround time under 24 hrs. E-mail me or leave a review, please?

Oh, and review please?

Next up: Inuyasha and Kagome meet... Inuyasha and Kikyou meet... Inuyasha, what will you do?

Review?


	5. Chapter Five

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teenaged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.

**WARNINGS:** I'm going to make it simple: Don't read the story if you don't like it.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews of the last chapter... unfortunately, Sesshoumaru isn't a nice a fuzzy (to be differentiated from 'fluffy'), so I can't have that many fluffy scenes... But maybe I can't put them in chapter seventeen (which is as yet unwritten)?

Still, perhaps this chapter isn't all that boring either.

Also, thanks to **Animefreak242 **and **emubadger** for pointing out some of the mistakes that I have made in previous chapters. I have corrected them, but am too lazy to update the internet version... I'll do it when I finish the entire fic... and who knows how that will take?

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 11/7/04 

**Chapter Five**

The sunlight felt warm on Kagome's face, but Kagome's room faced the west, and she never felt the warmth of the morning sun from her room. Unless it was already past morning and well into the afternoon.

Or, if she was not in her room, as Kagome quickly found out. The thing that she held onto that she had thought was a pillow was in fact an arm. And the warm and fluffy blanket was not a blanket at all but Sesshoumaru's boa.

At the thought of sleeping with Sesshoumaru, Kagome's face lit up in an embarrassed shade of red.

She sat up in the bed--after quietly ascertaining that she was indeed still clothed--and looked toward the man lying in bed with her. Silver strands of his long hair flowed over the pillows and with his eyes closed, Sesshoumaru looked so much less forbidding.

And he was lying beside her in her bed. Her face slowly turned from the embarrassed red to an angry crimson.

"What the hell are you doing on my bed?" she yelled.

Sesshoumaru flinched visibly at her loud voice, but at least he was awake. The moment he opened his gold eyes, though, his visage somehow became more set, more rigid, and more frozen.

Without answering her verbally, he simply raised an eyebrow.

Kagome tried to think. She was a usually light sleeper and she couldn't imagine how Sesshoumaru would have climbed beside her into her bed without her noticing.

Or why he would.

Then, it all came back in a flash; She had almost been... by those jackasses, no less. And it had been Sesshoumaru who had saved her.

And been kind enough to stay with her.

And she had just yelled at him.

Embarrassed again, Kagome turned away from him. "Um, sorry," she tried to apologize. "And, uh, thanks."

Sesshoumaru grunted his acknowledgment because she wouldn't see his normal curt nod, turned away from him.

"And I'd like to take a shower," she added.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru's voice rang out.

A few moments later, the servant that Kagome had saw upon her first visit to Sesshoumaru's office showed up in what Kagome could only conclude was an apartment in the upper floors of the club. It made sense that he would live near where he worked, although it didn't make sense as to why he would own a night club in the first place.

Without further ado, Sesshoumaru instructed Jaken to instruct the servants to draw a bath for Kagome.

Quietly, Kagome followed Jaken to the bathroom, complete with a hot tub, a jet bath, and a three-headed shower. Now she understood why the servants were needed.

When they were finished setting everything up and explaining everything to her, they left Kagome alone in the blissful bath of hot water and massage air jets to wash away the feeling of dirtiness and grime that were still left on her skin.

* * *

Kagome paused as she stepped outside the building of the nightclub onto the quiet street. In sharp contrast to the blaring lights and the deafening sound at night, she could only here the twitting of the birds and the occasional car that drove by. The sun shone softly onto the street and it was surprisingly tranquil. 

Sesshoumaru had informed her that she would still need to perform her duties as his personal maid, and in a way, Kagome was thankful. She didn't want to be treated special--not now, or she might actually have a breakdown. She wanted to have sometime for the memory to become less sharp and less distinct before she analyzed it.

The feeling to be out on the street in the bright of the day was wonderful. The only problem was, she had no idea how to walk to the cafe that Sesshoumaru had mentioned to get him the specific tea he wanted.

Kagome knew that the upper crust had very distinct tastes, but to order what he did... well, he wrote a veritable essay on the tea that he wanted.

Kagome hesitated, looking about. Then, she heard a familiar voice demand, "What the hell have you done with Sesshoumaru?"

"Nothing," she yelled back in reflex. She hadn't expected to see Inuyasha in Tokyo. "What are you thinking of anyway?"

"Keh," Inuyasha turned his face up disdainfully. "You reek of him." When Kagome sniffed at herself suspiciously--she shouldn't reek of anything, she had _just_ taken a shower--Inuyasha added, "You can't smell it, but I've a keen sense of smell."

"Well," Kagome replied thoughtfully. "I did sleep with him."

Souta asked, "You slept with him?" His eyes were wide.

At the same time, Inuyasha cursed. "You slept with that bastard?"

"He's very nice," Kagome defended Sesshoumaru a bit uncomfortably. "And both of you, get your heads out of the gutter. I didn't sleep with him in _that_ way."

Inuyasha still sniffed suspiciously. "You mean you actually slept next to him without... you know...?"

"Look, I don't want to go into the details," Kagome replied defensively. She could almost swear that Inuyasha was blushing at having to even talk about _it_. "But Sesshoumaru is in fact a very nice and kind and considerate person and he stayed with me last night since I was afraid of having nightmares."

Inuyasha still looked suspicious, but thankfully, Souta was supportive. Sort of. Souta said, "Wow, I couldn't have told that from the way he looked."

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "In all my life of knowing him, I have never heard him described a kind." In Inuyasha's abstinence, he had conveniently forgotten Rin.

In a sudden movement, Inuyasha grabbed both of Kagome's shoulders and buried his nose in her neck, sniffing loudly.

* * *

From the cafe across the street, Kikyou kept quiet and even appeared nonchalant, as she watched the scene in front of the night club. 

It was disgusting.

She even knew of the girl, dressed in vulgar clothing: Kagome Higurashi, her distant cousin who had also inherited the miko powers from their great-great-grandmother.

If it weren't for Kagome Higurashi, Kikyou would have inherited the Higurashi Shrine with her miko powers. But Kagome Higurashi ahd been more a more direct descendent. She was supposedly more pure in blood.

Kikyou curled her upper lip in disgust.

If it weren't for Kagome Higurashi, she would have had a place in the world.

And in addition to taking Kikyou's place and Kikyou's family, Kagome was even now taking Inuyasha, who had sworn eternal love to Kikyou.

Kikyou refused to give him up.

She picked up her bag from the chair next to her and was just about to confront the thief when another figure joined the scene: Sesshoumaru.

Kikyou detested Sesshoumaru; She loathed him with a passion that could be compared with nothing except, perhaps, her love for Inuyasha. But the memory of her last confrontation with him still burned in her mind and she had no intention of repeating that experience anytime soon.

Kikyou sneered with malicious glee as Sesshoumaru slipped an obviously proprietary arm around Kagome's waist. He wasn't going to let Kagome stay with Inuyasha either, although for a quite different reason that he hadn't let Kikyou together with Inuyasha.

* * *

As Inuyasha sniffed Kagome's neck, she waited awkwardly but patiently, not quite sure what he was trying to accomplish. As a dog-youkai, he would have a keen olfactory sense, which was precisely why she didn't understand his actions; He would be able to smell anything from three hundred feet off. 

A quiet snarl from the shadows of the door way behind Kagome started her out of her patient waiting.

Inuyasha growled quietly before he pulled back, seeming to understand something in Sesshoumaru's snarl deeper than Sesshoumaru's simple discontent.

As soon as Inuyasha withdrew, Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's firm arm snake around her waist. Inuyasha noticed this too and gave her a pointed look. Then, Kagome, remembering their earlier conversation, felt her face heat up.

She took a peek up at Sesshoumaru's face to see if he somehow knew what she was guilty of thinking and saying, although even she wasn't quite sure what it was she was guilty of. But his profile retained its usual cold and hard implacability and she could guess nothing.

The arm around her waist, though, was gently supporting, and strangely, Kagome felt a part of her relaxing as Sesshoumaru was with her again.

She supposed it was because he had come and saved her at her most desperate when nobody else had.

"Inuyasha," Kagome started introducing. "This is--"

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha finished for her in a guttural growl. "We know each other."

"Wow," Souta exclaimed. "You mean I could've just told Moon that I knew you and he would've let me off the hook?"

"No," Sesshoumaru's deep baritone cut in succinctly.

Inuyasha added, as if in explanation, "He's a cold bastard."

On hearing this, Kagome threatened Inuyasha with a warning glare. "Inuyasha, s..."

"Alright, alright." Inuyasha conceded quickly. "I won't say it anymore." He brought his hands up in front of him in a gesture of his capitulation.

When Inuyasha had been first brought to the Higurashi Shrine by Souta, Kagome's grandfather had identified him as youkai, almost correctly.

Inuyasha was a half-youkai and it was one of his sore spots. It was also the reason that Kagome's grandfather's spell had gone so completely awry. What had originally been a spell of obedience for twenty-four hours had become an indefinitely long spell during which he falls down 'splat' everytime Kagome says "sit" with a certain intonation.

He would 'splat' differently with different intonations and there were very few ways for Kagome to say "sit" without him falling 'splat'.

Needless to say, Inuyasha did not enjoy going 'splat', but they have yet to find the counterspell. Still, Inuyasha had his pride. So, after Kagome's temper seemed to have cooled slightly, he added, "Aloud."

Kagome leveled him a glare.

Sesshoumaru directed his reply to Kagome. "I am sorry that you have had to contend with the acquaintance of Inuyasha. I am more sorry to say that he does not get better upon further acquaintance."

"Why, you..." Inuyasha seethed at Sesshoumaru.

Souta cut in curiously, "Just how did you guys get to know each other anyway?"

It was Sesshoumaru spat out the answer. "We share the same father."

"Oh," Kagome said in revelation. "That's why you... You're brothers!"

"Half-brothers," both of them corrected at the same time, Sesshoumaru's ice cold while Inuyasha's filled with the heat of despite.

At this synchronized answer, both Kagome and Souta burst out laughing.

* * *

At the moment, Naraku wished that Kagura had indeed died from the toxins from Moon. 

The woman was so... easily getting off-track. She was supposed to watch for any possible weaknesses of Moon.

Although, from what she had said, Kagura had, indeed, front Moon's weakness: the human woman that Moon had recently acquired.

Naraku admitted to himself that he was more than a little curious as to what kind of human woman would draw Moon's attention. He had never known Moon to be interested in a human female in any capacity. Even Rin had been merely a legal obligation that as the head of so successful a corporation, he wouldn't have been able to rid himself of without losing face.

Naraku wondered if this human woman could be as enticing as Kikyou, but he doubted that any human woman could be as enticing as Kikyou.

Which was why he needed Moon gone and Inuyasha put into the spotlight for Naraku to attack. Then, he would be able to have the Shikon no Tama and Kikyou by his side.

It seemed that he would have to adjust his plan. Again. Too bad the actors would never follow his script.

* * *

Kouga sauntered near his haunt. He had had more than a few fights today and he was actually a little impatient to return to the safety of his sanctuary. As the leader of a pack of what he would like to call traditional wolves--wolves who hunted and killed and lived off of the land--he still needed to arrange his affairs from time to time by simple virtue of living among civilization. 

But he couldn't wait to return to the pack and share the deer that he had brought back from one of the freshest butcher shops around the neighborhood. They hadn't had rare meat like that in a long time.

As he opened the door, though, an overwhelming smell of blood washed over him and he felt apprehension gathering in him. Dragging the deer carelessly behind him, he sprinted down the steps to the basement.

One of the wolves had died.

Had become nothing but a dark splotch against the floor and parts of the walls.

Kouga seethed in fury and indignation. They were his pack, under his protection, and yet _some_body had disregarded the truce between the youkai and made an attack on his pack, in his territory.

Suddenly, Kouga remembered the weak youkai who had met on the way back to his haunt. The youkai had appeared human and had long, black hair in ringlets.

"Beware of Moon," the stranger had warned and disappeared quite mysteriously before Kouga could ask anymore.

Kouga knew who Moon was--the most feared being in all of the underworld. Not only did he hold enough property to make bankrupt anybody he wished, Sesshoumaru was also a formidable youkai of one of the oldest bloodlines.

Older, Kouga was loath to admit, than even his own.

Kouga had never liked Sesshoumaru, but he had also been careful that he never offended the youkai. But now, Kouga's pack had been attacked and he certainly did _not_ plan to sit and wait cowardly for further attacks.

He was out for vengeance.

"Who was it?" He asked the still quivering members of the pack, on the slight chance that his assumptions had been wrong.

After a long, fearful pause, one of the wolves answered, "A youkai."

"Tall... strong," another added.

"With poisonous claws," said a third. "And silver hair."

That decided Kouga. He muttered forcefully under his breath, "I'm going to _kill_ him."

It was then that Ginta stepped up with the intention to give a full explanation to Kouga. "My prince, there is a reason--"

"I don't care what the reason is," Kouga cut off Ginta harshly. Ginta was Kouga's right hand and normally, Kouga took care to listen to Ginta's advice because Kouga knew he was a bit reckless at times. But this was certainly not one of them. He explained with perfect clarity, "He imposed on my territory and harmed and killed my man."

"But--" Ginta tried to add, but only a cloud of dust was left where Kouga had been. Kouga had certainly put his legendary running speed to work.

* * *

Did I say that Kikyou was going to meet Inuyasha? Well... she sort of did... Hey, it's my story! 

And while I was writing this chapter, I almost made it winter... when it's only been days (busy, busy days) after Souta's _summer_ camp finished. This is why I have trouble writing.

Tell me how I did... R/R


	6. Chapter Six

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teenaged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.

**WARNINGS:** I'm going to make it simple: Don't read the story if you don't like it.

**Author's Notes:** To **KougasGrl1188**'s review: Yes, there is a purpose to Inuyasha sniffing Kagome. And the reason that Sesshoumaru isn't so suave around Kagome is that despite what he would like to think, Kagome does matter to him and so he can't help but be less nonchalant in every single one of his actions about Kagome.

Basically, there's a reason that makes sense in my mind for everything that I write in the story. Only, sometimes I forget what they are. Most of the time, though, they're going to be revealed later on in the story, so that if you come back to the story like two years later and reread it, you'll exactly what's going on.

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 11/21/04 

**Chapter Six  
**

Sesshoumaru placed Kagome behind him as soon as he smelt the being that was fast approaching. He didn't actually know what Kouga smelt like, but from the way the smell reeked of wolf, Sesshoumaru deemed it a safe enough inference that the interference was, indeed, the Wolf Prince Kouga.

Not that he had truly enjoyed his non-conversation with that stupid excuse of an idiot half-brother.

On the other hand, Sesshoumaru thought that if Kagome had known the pitiful scum for some time and had not become mentally damaged yet, it was likely that she could remain in the scourge's presence for a few more moments and remain intact for his purposes. Kouga, on the other hand...

Sesshoumaru was not aware that he had growled until Kagome put a gentle hand on him, saying pertly, "Hey, we know that you're youkai already, okay? Chill. You're acting like a dog who caught an unpleasant scent."

"He is," Inuyasha answered even as his ears started twitching.

"Oh, right." Kagome picked up her usual energetic self quickly. "So do you actually smell something?"

But Sesshoumaru couldn't be bothered to stop growling. Inuyasha answered instead, "Even I smell something."

In the next moment, Kagome felt herself flying through the opened doors of Sesshoumaru's building behind her. Sesshoumaru had shoved her quite unceremoniously.

"Hey--" Kagome's outburst of indignation was cut shout as Souta scrambled into the building for some semblance of safety.

"It's getting pretty ugly out there," he stated although Kagome couldn't see anything because of the cloud of dust that had yet to settle beyond the now-shut glass doors.

Kagome sighed--she didn't know if she was more worried for herself, Sesshoumaru, or the person that was coming who had so aroused the ire of the normally impassive Sesshoumaru. Kagome didn't claim to understand Sesshoumaru very well. She certainly didn't know what made him tick the way saying 'sit' and 'ramen' would to Inuyasha.

On the other hand, it had been an exciting day and night that she had experienced with her new employer already. First, she had found out that he owned a nightclub and possibly some gambling places, too. Then, she found out that he was also very responsible--after all, there could be no other reason for him to have saved her, except for kindness. But she doubted seriously that somebody who hired exotic dancers had a very loud conscience.

But he had been kind. When she had opened her eyes and seen the cold bloodlust rage in his golden orbs, she had known that he had craved for more than the simple death of one mere youkai. She had thought that he might have continued until nobody could walk out of the basement alive.

He must have remembered her even in his bloodlust, and remembered her discomfort. For how else could she possibly rationale his gentle and timely handling of her, and his wonderful silence that she very much doubted Inuyasha would have been thoughtful enough to provide had he been in his brother--half-brother's stead.

On the other hand, Kagome had also seen Sesshoumaru take a life without any hesitation or compunction. Really, she didn't remember him saying a single word to the man before taking the man's life.

Thinking back on it, Kagome supposed that she should be thankful that Sesshoumaru had not dealt similarly with Souta.

Although... Souta had been a mere teenage boy who naturally had no sense of self-preservation. Besides, Sesshoumaru would have been shrewd enough to realize that without a living Souta, Sesshoumaru would never be able to regain the money that Souta owed him.

Kagome sighed again as the dust finally settled to reveal a white blur and a brown blur on top of the black asphalt under the yellow Sun. Inuyasha merely stood passively beside the fighting pair.

* * *

"Bastard," Kouga cursed even as his fist flew towards Sesshoumaru's face. "You killed my man. How dare you? Have you no respect for me, the Wolf Prince Kouga? Well, it hardly matters, since you're going to die for your transgression." 

Sesshoumaru merely dodged Kouga and slid behind him, raking his poisonous claws across Kouga's back as he twirled elegantly in the harsh city setting. "On the contrary, I have not yet killed you, therefore you are worth something in my esteem."

Kouga turned around and lunged at Sesshoumaru's back in his fury. "Screw your esteem. Who cares? You killed my man."

"And your man," Sesshoumaru answered in a bored voice without even turning back. "Hurt my woman."

Sesshoumaru knew that Kouga was going for his back. Sesshoumaru wanted to catch Kouga unawares on his stomach. He didn't tolerate fools very well, and Kouga... if he had stayed well enough away... but he hadn't.

He waited patiently even as the milliseconds ticked by.

"Stop!" Sesshoumaru heard Kagome screeched at the top of her lungs even as her feet pattered on the pavement toward them. She was just being silly, of course, because she would not be able to do anything even if she could run with a speed comparable to youkai speed.

But he had been wrong, Sesshoumaru realized when he could no longer sense Kouga's movement. Curious, he turned around slowly, only to see Kouga suspended in the middle of the air, his feet still tucked in under him and his right arm stretched towards where Sesshoumaru had been.

Now, Sesshoumaru was even more curious. Had the human girl done this?

"Let. Me. Down." Kouga growled.

"Gah!" Kagome seemed to have just noticed that Kouga was suspended in midair. With this exclamation, Kouga fell down promptly onto the pavement and Kagome thought she heard a bone crack. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to suspend you in midair, I hope you are okay," she started ranting.

"He will heal," Sesshoumaru answered simply.

"Oh," Kagome's face fell in relief.

"You are a miko," Kouga yelled to nobody in particular. "No wonder!" Then, he looked her up and down. "And you are an absolutely beautiful miko. A beautiful, powerful miko. What's your name, miko?"

"Uh..." Kagome was taken off guard. "Kagome Higurashi."

"Well, nice name, huh? I'm Kouga, the Wolf Prince." He took both of her hands in his. "And with my protection, you won't need to fear anything."

"Uh..." Kagome wasn't sure what Kouga was talking about.

Sesshoumaru, however, did. "She has no need of your protection."

Then, Kouga pulled Kagome forward, buried his nose in her neck, and sniffed several times, just like Inuyasha did, as Kagome stood awkwardly.

"Hey," Kouga said when he finally raised his face from her neck. "Let her choose."

Kagome turned a bewildered glance towards Sesshoumaru's face, which remained stoic.

Kouga leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Satisfied, he stated, "You're my woman, now."

"_What_?" She spat. Kagome would not have expected that a million years. Although her grandpa had told her that there were instances when a demon would take human mate, she would never have imagined herself as one. Although, at that time, she didn't even believe in demons. And of course, she had never imagined that she would have a room in one of the most exclusive buildings in the nation, either, before she started working for Sesshoumaru.

But she certainly wasn't flattered. "That's called giving me a choice? I don't _want_ to be your woman. I _am not_ your woman." At Sesshoumaru's smirk, she added, "I'm not _anybody's_ woman. I'm my own person."

At this declaration, Sesshoumaru's visage seemed to shift, but in the next second, Kagome could no longer tell. Kouga, though, could feel the youki rolling off of the famed Moon, and decided that perhaps his revenge shall be taken another day.

"This isn't over, Moon," he shouted as his legendary speed took him away from the scene.

* * *

"Not mine, huh?" Sesshoumaru asked in a casual tone even as he advanced on Kagome. 

"Eep." Now, Kagome couldn't quite remember what had provoked her into saying that when she knew that Sesshoumaru wouldn't have liked it. Sesshoumaru didn't seem quite happy. In fact, he seemed downright murderous and that totally scared her. Although, Kagome was quite sure that he wouldn't actually hurt her after going through all the trouble to save her. At least she hoped that was the case.

"Hey," Inuyasha interrupted. He, who had lived with Sesshoumaru for many years, knew the full extent that Sesshoumaru's fury could take on. "Kagome is my--"

As Inuyasha suspected, Sesshoumaru didn't even hear him out. Inuyasha had meant to say 'bestfriend.' "Kagome is yours?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Inuyasha stood firm. "I have prior claim. I've known her for three years."

Sesshoumaru raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Really, now?"

Inuyasha suddely recognized the folly of having Sesshoumaru in a playful mood. Sesshoumaru was at his most sadistic when he was playful. That was how it had been with Kikyou.

Inuyasha tried his last trick, "She's just a _human_."

Kagome opened her mouth to say her objection towards using 'human' as a derogatory term, but Inuyasha's hand squeezed her arm in warning. She relented.

"Fine, keep her," Sesshoumaru said as he turned around and walked into the building. "For now."

Kagome barely released a sigh of relief before she realized something. "Oh, shit," she turned to Inuyasha. "How am I going to pay him back if I can't even go see him?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "What do you owe him?"

Kagome looked at the floor. "Three hundred fifty thousand yen."

Inuyasha started marching away before Kagome called, "Inuyasha, where are you going?"

He stopped. "You're right. I really, really want to smash him on the head right now, but I'm not going to, because it's not going to resolve the problem."

Souta piped up, finally having found the courage to come outside, after seeing Sesshoumaru walk past him inside the hall and ignoring him completely. "You can't hit him, anyway. He'd beat the crap out of you."

"Shut up." Inuyasha smacked Souta on the head.

"Sit!" Inuyasha kissed the asphalt. "How dare you even think about bullying my brother?"

Souta smiled sweetly. "Thanks, but it really doesn't hurt that much. I've gotten used to it because he did a bazillion times when you weren't with us."

This only enraged Kagome further. "Sit! Si-t! S-it! Sit! _Sit!_"

After a while, the dust settled, and Inuyasha climbed up warily from the dent that had been made on the asphalt. "Why, you..." he started at Souta, but seemed to think better about it.

Souta said to Kagome, "We can live with Kohaku for a while. Maybe you can even find Sango."

* * *

Kikyou left the cafe as Inuyasha and Kagome left the scene. 

The scene had been obscene.

And Kagome had even dared to allow Inuyasha to call her his, as if Kikyou didn't exist.

She would need to do something about this, and quickly, before Kagome addles Inuyasha's brain and performs her insipid curse on him to take what was rightfully Kikyou's.

Inuyasha was Kikyou's, and Kikyou had no intention to let him go.

Nobody could come in between them.

* * *

Tell me how I did... R/R 


	7. Chapter Seven

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teenaged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.

**WARNINGS:** I'm going to make it simple: Don't read the story if you don't like it.

**Author's Notes:** Sorry about the lateness of this... lots of school stuff, and then I had to clean up the complete mess that's called "my residence." But I was thinking about this story day and night (among a few other things, like the calculus exam that I had--and most probably failed). So, very _late_ happy-happy holidays! (And yes, it's _still_ summer in the story.)

But the good part is that I have most of the plot of the story all worked out. Shippo still doesn't have a part and probably never will.

Another good news for all of you who like the story, my New Year resolution--one of them, anyway--is to have this story finished. I'm thinking that starting February, I'll be able to update every two weeks or so, since I'm having a slight shift in my schedule and I will have more time.

Also, in case you were wondering, Kagome doesn't really know who Kikyou is. She had heard of this distant cousin a couple of times, but to Kagome, Kikyou isn't a big part of her life. Now, as for Kikyou... I think she should be gone, too, but I don't think _she_ wants to go anywhere.

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 1/10/05

**Chapter Seven  
**

"You really shouldn't," Miroku argued with a rare passion about something that didn't involve a woman bearing his child. Although even that proclivity had eased since his engagement with her.

"I need to," Sango replied stubbornly without looking at him. "I have to do this one thing before our marriage."

"But what if..." Miroku paused and took a deep breath before continuing. Even then, it was as if the thought was too painful to imagine. "What if something happens to you?"

"Then it was meant to be. But I can't let the murderer of my parents roam scot-free as I enjoy life." Tears started shimmering in her beautiful brown yes. "I have to avenge them."

"But then you may never be able to even enjoy our marriage."

Fire returned to Sango's eyes as she turned to Miroku and demanded angrily, "Is that all you ever think about? Sleeping with women? Is that why you asked me to marry you at all? Because I wouldn't sleep with you otherwise? Are you going to divorce me right after?"

"No, no," Miroku answered quickly. "I--"

"You what? Well, you should know this." Sango stood up jerkily. "The engagement is off, since the upcoming marriage was causing you so much grief. I wanted you to support me, but you know what else? I don't _need_ you to help me. I can do this all by myself. You are _not_ the only person that matters in my life. My parents--my _dead _parents--matter. And more than you!"

Sango took several steps to the door before she stopped again. This time, her voice was quiet and Miroku had to strain to hear her. "I'm leaving, Miroku, and I don't know if I can ever come back."

"San-," Miroku yelled after her even as he toppled the table over in his attempt to stand up quickly, but she was already gone. And if there was nothing else that he had learned about her in all the years that he had known her, he knew the steadfastness of her determination.

He sat back down again and sighed into his hands. He hoped that she could and would come back to him.

* * *

Sesshoumaru really didn't care what would happen to his pitiful half-brother's human wench.

Really, he didn't.

After all, she was the one that had acquiesced to leave his omnipotent protection to be with the turd. No matter how he tried to deny it, though, that had rankled. So, he thought, let her find her fate there.

But something nagged at him, and it was most certainly _not_ his conscience.

This... thing that nagged at him berated the logical and sensible part of him: _He had left her in danger, because she does not truly know the evil--Naraku--that will now dog her heels. This was all because she has affiliated herself with him by saving his life._

Somehow, that mattered.

And Inuyasha couldn't protect her adequately.

Especially since he had never told Inuyasha about Naraku.

Now that Sesshoumaru thought about it, he realized that he probably should have just told Inuyasha instead of trying to spare him the pain. All that crap about brotherly care.

Sesshoumaru had thought that nobody deserved to feel the bitter sting of betrayal, but he didn't enjoy looking at Inuyasha mope about the wrong that Sesshoumaru had supposed done to him.

As if _Sesshoumaru_ had betrayed him.

No, he had simply been trying to save Inuyasha from the pitiful fate of being mated with a human.

When they had become orphans, Inuyasha had been too young to understand. Although their father had ostensibly died from barely defeating an enemy youkai within the inuyoukai's territories, Touga had given up his life long before then.

Touga Taisho's wife--_human_ wife--had been the love of his life. He had mated her and doted on her against the wishes and advice of his court. They had thought that if Taisho most settle down, he should at least make an advantageous match.

But Taisho had _loved_ her.

Then, for several nights, his new mate had come home late, smelling like another male. Touga had tried to remain calm and question her, but she had only played innocent.

On the forth night, Touga followed his wife silently on her late-night excursion. He was being fair to her, but the Great Lord of the Western Lands would not be cuckolded.

She had indeed met with a man.

When his mate and the strange man started exchanging hugs, Touga had seen enough. He had revealed himself in his fury, and with one leap in a half-human, half-dog form, Touga had landed on top of his wife and pinned her down.

It was supposed to be a position that would force her submission.

Instead, in all his passionate fury, Touga's claws had dug deep into her chest and his sheer weight had crushed most of her ribs. He had forgotten that she was just a mere, fragile _human_.

The irony of it all had been that the man had been her brother, worried about her lack of visits and coming to see how she was doing in her new position. She hadn't wanted to bother Touga or for him to feel obligated to go with her to placate her brother. She knew that he had many things that needed to be done as a Great Lord.

Sesshoumaru shook himself out of his reverie. He hadn't thought about his childhood in a very long time, but even without reliving his childhood, he still despised humans.

Humans were fragile, short-lived, and weak. They made every negligible thing seem all-important. They made bonds with others that would only be broken in sadness or anger. Then, they'd cry and sob and go on about how it could possibly have happened to them.

They were just plain pitiful.

* * *

Inuyasha, Kagome, and Souta arrived at the door of Kohaku's the moment that Sango arrived. Kagome saw and recognized Sango from pretty far away, but she had been a little surprised and unsure and so waited until they were a bit closer before she called out her greetings.

"Sango!" She exclaimed as she gave Sango a big bear hug. "I haven't seen you in three years, and now we're here together." She took a critical look at Sango and then the apartment behind her. "I wonder if Kohaku has enough rooms for us all. But of course, you're just visiting."

"Actually, I'm staying." Sango smiled a little at her friend's enthusiasm. Ever since Sango had first become Kagome's neighbor, she had liked Kagome. Kagome was easy to like; She trusted, she cared, and she was suspicious of very little.

"That's great! That means we can stay up and watch TV all night like we used to." Then, Kagome added an afterthought. "Very quietly, of course. We wouldn't want to impose on your brother too much."

"Sure, whenever we can do it," Sango answered noncommittally.

"Uh-huh. So, how's Miroku doing?" Kagome asked the Inevitable Question.

Sango flattened her lips a little before answering, "We broke up."

It took Kagome a moment to speak her thought, "But you were engaged, and so good with each other."

"Look," Sango answered tiredly as she pushed on the doorbell again impatiently. "I don't really want to talk about it."

But she did. She wanted desperately to talk somebody who could understand and sympathize. She wanted affirmation that what she was doing was correct and right--that her parents would rest easy in the grave after she did it.

She wanted somebody--_anybody_--to acknowledge that she didn't choose foolishly, and that she didn't give up happiness in vain.

But Sango had never told Kagome why she had needed to move away three years ago. Three years ago, Kagome had been so bubbly and full of life that Sango didn't want any unhappiness to mar it. Now, still, Sango didn't want any of the toils of the real world to trouble the happy angel.

Sango felt a sense of relief when Kohaku finally opened the door. He looked slightly surprised at first at the people that crowded the door to his apartment, but recovered quickly and showed them inside.

* * *

Sesshoumaru followed Kagome's trail with his superior sense of smell. It was growing faint and timeworn, but so distinct that Sesshoumaru doubted he would ever forget her tantalizing mixture of spring and innocence.

Suddenly and silently, he stepped behind the corner of a building, hiding in the long shadows of dusk. He took another careful inhalation, just to be sure that he had not mistaken the smell.

But of course he couldn't; He was, after all, the Great Lord of the Western Lands.

The human passed in front of him, so close, and yet didn't seem to notice him at all. Sesshoumaru would have thought that the human would have seen him, giving their animosity towards each other.

Actually, Sesshoumaru only pitied the human.

Normally, he would just leave a human alone--they die soon enough by themselves anyway. But this time, it almost seemed as if the human was following Kagome as well.

And he doubted that the human had kind intentions towards Kagome.

After her attempt to save his life, he owed her a debt.

_She is only a human, _he knew somewhere in the back of his mind. Even so, he would not owe anybody anything. In fact, the sooner he paid his debt, the sooner he would be rid of his responsibility towards her.

Silently, he followed the human, and sure enough, the human was following Kagome. He wasn't quite sure how, because the human obviously couldn't smell Kagome, but the human did it as well as any human he ever saw.

He admitted grudgingly that he was relieved to be able to pay the debt back so quickly. He didn't want another episode like Rin.

_Do you, really?_ Some annoying part of him asked.

_No,_ he answered himself honestly. _I wanted the bloodshed to last longer._

* * *

Kagome had barely set her bags down on the queen sized bed that she was going to share with Sango when the doorbell rang.

She heard Kohaku opening the door.

Then, a loud, female screech that had Kagome covering her ears, "Where the hell is Inuyasha?"

In the next room, Inuyasha dropped his bags quite loudly onto the floor. Kagome could only imagine how loud the screech was for Inuyasha, who had youkai ears that amplified sound.

Obligingly, Inuyasha went down to the hall. Curious and concerned, Kagome followed him down the stairs. Sango came slightly behind Kagome, knowing that Kagome couldn't protect herself very well.

Sango had wondered why Kagome had a demon companion when they first met up in front of Kohaku's house. She had almost doubted that Kagome knew that Inuyasha was, at least partly, youkai, but those ears were a little hard to hide.

If it weren't for those ears, Sango would have thought that he was the one she was looking for. Even now, she doubted the wisdom of letting him into the same house with so many people that she cared about.

But her father had told her, _tall... human... white..._

Inuyasha wasn't exactly tall, but he most certainly wasn't human.

A sharp change in the feeling of the air brought Sango out of her thoughts. It wasn't quite youki. It felt... more like a holy sort of power, but some youki tainted it.

More alarmed than ever, Sango went down stairs to investigate.

* * *

Souta glanced around the room as Inuyasha left. There was a loud commotion outside, but there was always some sort of commotion when a lot of people congregated. Then, again, there was a lot of commotion when Kagome was by herself, too. So, he didn't worry very much.

Besides, he wanted to finish reading his Garfield book.

* * *

Ok, so I was going to combine this chapter with the next chapter (which I didn't write yet), but I figured this is long enough for a short chapter (I'll write a longer chapter next time, promise). So, I posted it up. Like I said (or did I say?), I'm trying to set up the plot a little bit more so that I can actually make the story interesting and give Kagome and Sesshoumaru some time before they decide.

**Parody Scene**

"Oh, Sesshoumaru!"

"Kagome!"

"Sesshoumaru!"

"Kagome!"

"Sesshoumaru! I know I've only known you for two days, and we haven't done anything except that I was mentally (and physically) harassed by you. But I love you! I know you would never hurt me, even though that makes absolutely no sense at all to me! But you know, I'm a high school teen-aged girl with lots of rampant hormones!"

"Kagome! It's true, I would never hurt you. I would--and probably will--wipe humanity off of the face of the planet... and that includes you little brother and my little brother, but I would never hurt you. Because... aside Well, I can't say I love her, because I'm supposed to be in denial and besides, I'm supposed to play the cold-hearted bastard... to Kagome ...because... well, you smell so good!"

"Smell good? You sound just like Inuyasha. And he ran off with Kikyou... look, I'm shivering from the trauma... comfort me, Sesshoumaru."

"You dare compare me to that half-demon disgrace! My high and mighty pride is wounded (even though it's supposed to be my layer of stone hard protection). I will never speak with you again!"

Sesshoumaru turns around to leave.

"Sesshoumaru!"

He keeps walking.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru!"

He stops.

"Please, Sesshoumaru, you know I love you."

He runs back to her. "Kagome, my darling, you know I love you, too. I love you more than anything, but I'm just an insecure wimp and I can't handle it when you touch my sore spots. I'll be nice as long as you listen to me."

"Oh, I will. I love you, Sesshoumaru."

"I love you, too, Kagome, you should know I do."

end of cut scene

Ok, now isn't that a horrible version of my story--and it is my story, because I wrote it. But just think, another one of those cliché Sesshoumaru-turns-good-and-falls-in-love stories...

Fine, fine, fine, so Glitter is one of those too, but like I said, if you don't like it, don't read it. And so for all of those who do, thanks! I really appreciate it (and the patience).

So, tell me how I did... R/R 


	8. Chapter Eight

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

**WARNINGS:** I'm going to make it simple: Don't read the story if you don't like it.

**Author's Notes:** I made a change back in one of the earlier chapters (I think it was two or three), basically, it was when Naraku said that he intended to get Kikyou. Well, I changed it to that he wanted to get Kikyou and the Shikon no Tama, because the Shikon no Tama is a great part of the story. (And if you don't know what the Shikon no Tama is, you are _seriously_ out of the loop--I think it's called the jewel of four souls in the English version.)

Of course, thanks for the great reviews and being patient with my inconsistent writing. I'm too impatient to wait for a beta to review everything so basically nothing is edited. (And it's a pain to edit something on A Single Spark because it reads _both_ the html and the actual line breaks, which makes it very difficult ot edit.) Last chappie, for example, I wrote "cukooed" instead of "cuckolded"... It's fixed now, but I find it interesting that none of you complained.

Like I said, thanks for the patience.

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 1/30/05 

**Chapter Eight  
**

Inuyasha remained speechless and stared at Kikyou for several moments before he could bring himself to whisper, "Kikyou."

"Of course it's me," Kikyou said impatiently.

"Kikyou," Inuyasha said much louder before he leapt forward to give her a big hug.

Kikyou shook him off. "Get your hands off of me, hanyou."

Again, Inuyasha became speechless, but instead of unexpected joy, it was from unexpected hurt. "Kikyou..." Inuyasha didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"Is that the only word you know how to say?" Kikyou's voice was disdainful. "It's a wonder that my cousin stays with you. Although, she has always been a tramp, hadn't she?"

Kagome had come down the stairs after Inuyasha and had chosen to remain silent and let Inuyasha talk it out with Kikyou. Although Inuyasha had never mentioned very much about his past before he moved into Kagome's neighborhood, he had alluded to this Kikyou figure, who had been the center of his life.

But Kagome couldn't just let that last insult slide.

"Ki--"

"_Cousin_ Kikyou," Kagome cut Inuyasha off, not quite caring that she was being rude. Kikyou had started it, anyway. "I have never had the pleasure to meet you. How do you do? It's nice to meet a long lost relative. Now, what do you say?"

Kikyou only looked at Kagome coldly before answering succinctly, "I am glad that one of us enjoys the other's company."

"How- How- How rude!" Kagome sputtered. "I can't believe you! This... this... grr!" Kagome threw her hands up in utter frustration.

Inuyasha concurred quietly, "I can't believe you, either, Kikyou." But Kagome could tell that this wasn't his usual caustic remark. His gold eyes seemed dulled and his whole face tired. He took a deep breath before saying, "I had thought..." Then, he shook his head as if to shake himself out of a dream. "Never mind, it's okay. I believe you. I'm just always the hanyou."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and Kikyou alternatively, her anger forgotten.

The doorbell rung out clearly in the tense silence.

Kohaku hurried to open the door, revealing a tall Sesshoumaru, his face again impassive. He stepped inside the door quite at his own leisure before Kohaku closed the door behind Sesshoumaru.

"Hiraikotsu," Sango shouted as she ran down the stairs.

"Onee-san," Kohaku intervened quickly. "He's okay." At her disbelieving look, he added, "Really. He's Rin's guardian."

Sango gave Sesshoumaru another thorough look, and put her boomerang on her back.

Sesshoumaru, too, stared at Sango. Although his expression didn't change at all, everybody in the room felt his condescension.

Sesshoumaru turned to Inuyasha, "I knew she would betray your oh-so-noble love, Inuyasha. I told you that she was not the match for you."

"No," Inuyasha agreed despondently. "I was never good enough for her."

Kagome stepped forward to comfort Inuyasha, but at Kikyou's death glare, Kagome stopped just short of touching him. Instead, she said, "No, Inuyasha, there must've been some misunderstanding. Maybe--"

"There has been no misunderstanding," Sesshoumaru refuted quite coldly. "Kikyou works with Naraku and had been using you to help Naraku get to me. Now you under stand why it's good that I nipped your relationship in its bud."

"No, no." Inuyasha shook his head. "Something must have happened while I was away." He stepped toward Kikyou, his golden gaze staring at her, but didn't touch her. "Tell me, Kikyou, tell me what went wrong and I'll help you fix it. I'll..."

Sesshoumaru walked over to Inuyasha and shook Inuyasha violently, his nails drawing blood, a mere shadow on Inuyasha's fire-rat haori. "Get a hold of yourself. What went wrong was that I saw through Kikyou's act. She has always been the conniving bitch."

Kikyou slapped Sesshoumaru, and sharp echoing was replaced by another tense silence.

"You're right," Kikyou gritted out through her teeth. "Nothing happened since Inuyasha left me. But it was never Inuyasha that left me, was it? It had always been you, hadn't it?"

Instead of responding to her anger, he smirked. "You think the whelp would leave you? He was so smitten with you that he thought about leaving his family--his heritage--behind, to elope with you, a _human_."

Something flickered in Kikyou's eyes, but then it was gone again.

But Sesshoumaru caught it. "But that's right. He had already forgotten you, hadn't he? He did, after all, claim your cousin. Of course, maybe he just prefers women with your body type."

"No," Inuyasha refuted. "Kagome... she's just a friend. We were neighbors."

Instead of responding to Inuyasha, Kikyou asked Kagome, "So you are content to let him use you when he wants and to discard you when he sees something better?"

"You are _so_ not better than me," Kagome huffed. "Besides, we are just friends."

Kikyou sneered, "Friends with benefits. But you don't fool me, little girl, he had claimed you as his, with his half-brother as witness."

"He never-" Kagome stopped herself as she remembered the scene after Kouga's attack. "-claimed me. He never finished his sentence. He meant that I was his bestfriend."

"Of course." Kikyou's agreement dripped with sarcasm.

"I swear, Kikyou, my heart never wavered. Even if... even if," Inuyasha gulped. "Even if you give up on me, I will never stop loving you."

Kikyou scanned the crowd gathered around the living room imperiously before lifting her chin towards Inuyasha. "Let's discuss this privately. Outside."

Kikyou turned around and let herself out of the door without a single glance backward and Inuyasha followed her out meekly.

* * *

Kagome wouldn't have thought that the weather outside was so cold, since it was still summer, but she could have sworn that the temperature inside dropped by at least ten degrees. 

When everybody remained silent and unmoving, Kagome said, "Wow, Sango, that looks like a really big boomerang." Then, she blushed from the obviousness of her comment.

Sango only nodded. "I--my entire family consists of demon hunters." She shrugged, "I hunt demons. So when I see one, my first impulse is to hit it."

"Oh." Kagome didn't know quite how to respond. "So, I was the only one who didn't know about the whole demon thing?"

This time, Sango peered at her, "But you lived at a shrine. Your grandfather knew all about demons..."

"I guess," Kagome said. "But I just thought... well, listening to those stories were fun, but I never thought they were real." Her expression turned thoughtful, "Does that mean that with the Shikon no Tama I can do whatever I want?"

"You have the Shikon no Tama?" Sango and Sesshoumaru asked at the same time. Sesshoumaru even took a step toward her.

"I don't," Kagome answered, and both Sango and Sesshoumaru seemed relieved and disappointed at this. "But grandpa always told me that the jewel has remained in the family, and each generation, there is a priestess born to guard it. I'm not the priestess, especially since I don't have any priestess powers."

Sango wondered aloud, "Then where could it be?"

* * *

Outside, Kikyou turned to Inuyasha, "You say you never wavered." 

Inuyasha held both of Kikyou's hands. "I never did."

"So why did you leave?"

"I left... because Sesshoumaru disowned me when I told him that I vowed to stay with you for the rest of my life. And then I went to search all of Japan for you, anywhere that I could feel your aura, I went."

Kikyou jerked her hands away from Inuyasha and turned away from him. Her voice was a quiet snarl, "I am _not_ Kagome."

"Kikyou, don't you think I know that?" Inuyasha started to step toward her but dropped back. "I like her as a friend, but she would never--nobody would ever replace you in my heart."

Kikyou turned toward him. "I don't care about you anymore," she lied through her teeth. "But I do not appreciate being lied to. You wouldn't need to search for me--you should be able to feel me, because if you really tried, you would know that we have a blood bond."

"We do?" Inuyasha asked a little hesitantly. "How come I have never felt it then?"

Now Kikyou knew he was lying. A blood bond is one of the most powerful spells in the world. The only way that Inuyasha would have missed it was if something masked him from the bond purposefully, but very few beings have that much power.

Besides, Inuyasha claimed that he had traveled for three years, alone.

"I don't care anymore," Kikyou said simply. "You can go on your way, and I will go on mine. But before that, I need it back."

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Playing stupid is not going to get you anywhere. I can see that you have not used it, which is smart on your part, since you'd be especially vulnerable to its corrupting powers as a hanyou. But I need it back," Kikyou reiterated.

"But you promised me that--"

"And you promised me things you haven't delivered, too. The circumstances then were different from the circumstances now. Now, it's mine to protect." Kikyou took a deep breath. "Give me the Shikon no Tama."

* * *

Hey, it's another short chappie... but there's more plot development. 

So, tell me how I did... R/R


	9. Chapter Nine

**DISCLAIMER:** Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

**WARNINGS:** I'm going to make it simple: Don't read the story if you don't like it.

**Author's Notes:** So, I confess: I'm kind of stuck. So, I guess I'm writing in the realm of High Contemporary Paranormal...? But not only is the muse sulking at me for being busy with finals, I actually don't have an off period next semester. I guess I'll just try to update as often as I can, huh?

**Don't read the above note.** But you're probably going to anyways. I typed it when I started writing this chappie, but I haven't actually gotten around to finish it until now. (And the only reason that I can finish it now is because I'm stuck in a dorm in Moscow, and I've finished the only English book I brought--HP and tOotP.)

Sally, it's good to know that my fanfiction has (in a rather roundabout sort of way) helped you make a decision in life. I would prattle and rant, too--actually, I do, but I do it enough in my email updates, and then when I do it under Author's Notes, I sort of feel like I'm falsifying the word count of the story...

Kikyouhater101... interesting name. I have to agree, Kikyou is not the most likable person, and even as a character, she's kind of confusing. Anyway... I didn't actually get your email address... so I couldn't send you an update.

My story is only 22k words even with the 20 or so with all the babbling (so that would make it 19k without the inane babblings)...

So... Here the story goes...

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 6/18/05 

**Chapter Nine  
**

Kagura dragged the tip of her fan down her delicate, pale cheekbone and sulked. "Why can't I just go and kill that little girl. I could do it so easily, with a mere wave of my fan, I could--"

"Enough," Naraku hissed in his side of the dark chamber. He did not remain in the dark because villains liked darkness, but he found it simply more convenient if the people he dealt with remained ignorant of his features.

Not that he couldn't make a new detachment--or even a new body--for himself at anytime.

He thought that the next time he made a detachment, it would be something quiet and malleable. Kagura caused too much trouble with her wishes and wants. Yes, Naraku thought, a young girl, nice and quiet, sucking the soul out of you before you even realized that she was there.

Sucking souls... Naraku's thoughts lingered for a moment on the interesting possibility before he turned his attention back to Kagura. "Sesshoumaru is mine, and I allowed you to play with him for me. But I don't want you to touch Kagome, because I think she raises some interesting possibilities. I'm more worried about the reunion of the two lovers... if it goes too well."

Kagura's laugh rang out shrill and mocking. "So, my dear hanyou master is still in love with the pure priestess."

"I am _not_ in love," Naraku denied quickly enough. "Although, I have to admit that I feel a certain... lust for her."

Kagura wrinkled her brows in disgust. "What is with some men and frigid bitches?" Then, her face relaxed and she smiled knowingly. "Oh, I know, it's because they don't want the more experienced women to know just how... lacking they are."

Naraku smirked. "I think it's just that for all your experience, you have a very limited repetoire, Kagura. Men know exactly what to expect from you, and it's not much."

"Really now?" Kagura sashayed toward Naraku. "I just think that you're not man enough to handle it."

Naraku's expression became blank. "If I wanted to have sex with flesh of my own flesh, I would have created a toy who knows how to handle men."

Fury crossed Kagura's expression for a moment, but then her red eyes became serene again. "You are still stuck on that _human priestess_. Naraku, the human in you shows."

Kagura didn't have a chance to gasp before Naraku crushed her bloody, pulsating heart in his right hand. For a long moment, theirs was a tableau except for Kagura's trembles from pain.

"But you are still useful to me, Kagura," Naraku cooed as he eased his hold on her heart. "Even if you are rather lacking in the art of pleasing men. I will not force you back to oblivion. Yet."

Naraku dug his fingers into her heart before finally tossing it negligently to a jar behind him. "Now leave me."

Kagura stumbled out of the room and crumbled in a heap of pain.

* * *

Kagome sighed despondantly when the conversation died again. It wasn't that she particularly disliked silent tranquility. It was just that this silence seemed tense, full of distrust. 

Turning to Sesshoumaru, she tried to start another conversation, "So, you don't quite like humans..."

Sango snorted derisively. "I'm putting away Hiraikotsu," she excused herself as she walked back up the stairs, leaving Kagome and Sesshoumaru in the living room by themselves.

"I don't dislike humans," Sesshoumaru responded evenly to Kagome's implied criticism. "I simply choose to not trouble myself and deal with those who are inferior to me."

For a moment, Kagome grounded her teeth so tightly in frustration that she couldn't even say anything. Then, she took a deep breath. "We are _so _not inferior."

Sesshoumaru shot her a speaking look with his golden eyes.

Kagome sighed. "Ok, so we live shorter, we are more vulnerable, we can't do all the magic stuff except for few who are born with it, but we... we... we are more emotional."

"And that is a good thing..." Sesshoumaru's tone scathed of skeptism.

"Of course." Kagome was more confident now that she had something she could talk about. "It makes us warm hearted and makes us care. It makes-"

"Nonsense," Sesshoumaru cut her off. "It makes you irrational, especially in tight situations where you need to be rational. It makes you all sacrifice for each other so that none of you live. It gives you vulnerability when you already have one foot in hell." At her silent fuming, he arched a supercilious brow. "Am I wrong?"

Kagome knew that there was a flaw in his logic somewhere. She thought for a moment, then answered, "You're not wrong... but it's emotions that make our lives have meaning.

"You can live for however long you want, but it will mean nothing unless you cared for something, be it your parents, your friends, your family..."

"Or your money," Sesshoumaru finished for her.

Kagome frowned. "Not all of us are so materialistic."

"Right," Sesshoumaru agreed easily. "Some of you just want power."

Hard put to refute his claim, Kagome asked, instead, "How's that different from the youkai?"

Sesshoumaru looked out the window in the direction Kikyou had led Inuyasha. "To youkai, power and money mean something. We live for thousands and thousands of years. But for humans, they are nearly meaningless, because you never quite amass enough in your short lifespan for them to be useful, and it just becomes a pointless waste of energy."

"Well, what do you expect us to do then?"

Sesshoumaru turned and gave her a considering look. "Humans should spend their short lifespans doing something meaningful; They should serve us who are immortal."

Kagome snorted to hold back laughter. Really, she had half expected this answer. "No, thanks, I'd really rather not."

Kagome didn't know what Sesshoumaru expected, but he seemed shocked and puzzled at her flat refusal. "Don't you understand?" he asked.

"Oh, I understand quite alright." Kagome didn't know if Sesshoumaru would miss the sarcasm, but it was already as thick as she could lay it on. "Us mere humans are useless scum."

He refuted, "No, you have your uses."

"I don't hear you contradicting the scum part."

* * *

Kikyou tried to remain patient, but as the second passed by, her insides coiled up more and more and obnoxious impatience. She was a miko, and so should have positive feelings for all that alive, but it was hard to hold the negative feelings at bay as she stared at Inuyasha. 

No, they had never been lovers in the physical sense, but Kikyou had given him her heart, and for a priestess, that perhaps meant more than the giving of the body ever would. Now, she was no longer dedicated to God, to the spirits, or to the welfare of the world. Now, the most important being in her heart was Inuyasha.

She had even given him the Shikon no Tama as a physical embodiment of all that she was willing to give up--and did give up--for him: her social acceptability... her independence... her life.

All that she had given freely for the love he claimed to have for her... the family he offered which she never had... another kindred soul in this uncertain, wavering world. She wasn't sure what hurt more, to find that he never truly loved her--for why else would he run away?--or that even now, he didn't deem her quite important enough to know the truth.

Bitterly, Kikyou reflected that she could never go back to her old life. She can never unlove Inuyasha, even if the Inuyasha in her heart was not the one in real life. She would never regain but a small percentage of her powers, and those would never warrant her a place in the world, not even an isolated but accepted one.

Kikyou would have laughed had she been alone. She was miserable... so miserable and pitiful. She could never live as she had, except as a pale ghost gazing into the past. Still, at least she would have this one victory.

She would still do her original duty and guard the Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha would not have the jewel. No, everything she could do to make him regret his choice of leaving her, she would do.

It wouldn't be fair, otherwise. It wouldn't be fair that he could wander and make friends and enjoy himself when every day, every hour, every second, Kikyou could think of nothing but the times they have spent together, see nothing but his golden gaze upone her, dream of noone but him. He had made her this way, and it wasn't fair that she was the only one suffering.

Hesitantly--Kikyou knew that Inuyasha was loathe to give up the power--Inuyasha took out the shining Shikon no Tama from his haori. "I hope," he said slowly as he handed her the jewel equally agonizingly slowly. "I hope that you have a good life."

This time, Kikyou snorted as his blatant hypocrisy. "No, Inuyasha, I wasn't meant for a good life, but I will have a purposeful life. I will let nothing else distract me from guarding this jewel."

For what else did she have?

As she tried to take the jewel from Inuyasha, though, something bright and soundless clapped, and a painful shock went through her arm to stop at her heart.

She stared at the jewel, still in Inuyasha's outstretched hand. "Are you alright?" She heard Inuyasha asked urgently.

_No_, she wanted to answer, but she was too proud to make her mouth make the sounds. _No, I have just been deprived of the one last thing that would give my life a purpose._

Aloud, she demanded, "What have you done? Have you finally been corrupted by the power of the jewel?"

Inuyasha looked taken aback. "No, I haven't, I swear I haven't." His expression was one of bewilderment. "I didn't even think about it until just now." He winced. "Okay, I have thought about it, but I really haven't used it at all."

Then, he grew fearful. "Oh, no, unless its power-corruption thing is already in me... But Kikyou, I promise I didn't mean it."

"You must have done something to it," Kikyou said desperately. "Otherwise, why would it reject me?"

But Kikyou was such a hypocrite. She knew why. The jewel always rejected those less pure, and the only way to overcome the pain was to lust desperately after the power that the jewel offered until one's selfishness overcame one's compassion.

It was official, Kikyou thought in despair. Everything she ever had was gone, and she didn't even know how she became this way, where she went wrong, because she could no longer fault Inuyasha, as the jewel just proved.

She never should have fallen in love.

But it was too late... too late... too late now.

* * *

The lightning--more, the sudden release of power--startled Sesshoumaru out of whatever he was about to say. 

"Shikon no Tama," he whispered under his breath.

Every youkai knew about the jewel, said to have aided numerous youkai's rises to power in the past. It was supposed to give any who held it unbelievable power. Of course, there was the slight draw back that every single one of those youkai had been evil, but Sesshoumaru was sure that it was only their inability to handle power.

He, on the other hand, was used to power. In fact, the only reason he truly wanted the Shikon no Tama was to prevent others from using it. After all, he was already the most feared of all youkai.

"_That_ was the Shikon no Tama?" Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru nodded, still concentrating on locating the source of the energy. It seemed to come from Inuyasha and Kikyou's direction, but that made very little sense.

Surely, if Kikyou had the jewel, he would have sensed it. Even if the aura of the jewel was cloaked, he still should have been able to sense her priestess power protecting it, but in the numerous times he had warned her away from Inuyasha, he had not felt a single abnormality in her priestess powers.

It was even more ludicrous to think of the jewel in Inuyasha's hands. As one of the most insecure people he had ever known--who else would actually fall for Kikyou's charade?--Sesshoumaru knew that Inuyasha had many wishes he wanted granted. Not the least of them was to become a full youkai.

Although, for a while, he did foolishly wish to become human. Either case, though, Inuyasha would have done much for himself had he had the jewel, and Sesshoumaru would have sensed its presence when it released power.

But it had been hidden, until now... For a mere moment, Sesshoumaru doubted his judgment, but then shook off his doubts resolutely. It didn't matter what had happened. What was important now was that nobody be allowed to use the power of the jewel.

Unless that person was Sesshoumaru himself.

* * *

The explosion of energy woke Naraku from his sleep. He didn't like being disturbed, but he enjoyed memories of Onigumo even less. 

One day, soon, he was going to prove to the world that he wasn't dirt everybody could ignore. He wasn't just petty thief, or Kikyou's little pity case. One day, soon, he was going to be feared.

One day, soon, he would acquire the Shikon no Tama.

Naraku's hand clenched and unclenched at the thought of the jewel. It looked like today was his lucky day, because the explosion that had woken him up was definitely from the Shikon no Tama.

Unfortunately, his plan must change again, but all for the better, this time. He had thought that Sesshoumaru had the Shikon no Tama, which was partly why he went after Sesshoumaru so doggedly. But Sesshoumaru would never let the energy leak out of the jewel so wastefully or loudly.

Anybody was an easier adversary than Sesshoumaru, and Naraku ought to know as he had been trying to manuever against the youkai for years and years.

He would be the Taiyoukai soon, with the power of the jewel, and even Sesshoumaru's power would not hold a candle to his own, much less anybody else's. Nobody would dare insult him for being a half-blood.

And Inuyasha...

Kikyou would no longer tell him how great... how wonderful... how loved Inuyasha was. No, Naraku would soon be better than all the youkai, all the half-bloods, and all the humans.

And he would have Kikyou as his prize.

He was going to do all this anyways, but the reappearance of the Shikon no Tama would make everything faster. For one thing, he wouldn't have to be patient to unseat Sesshoumaru from his throne of power to prove his omnipotence.

He looked over at the gurgling mass that was him, and a part of it detached itself. Slowly, it started to shape itself into a humanoid form.

Yes, he thought, a nice, quiet little girl, sucking souls out before she's even noticed.

She opened her pale eyes and stood silently still.

Much better, Naraku thought. "Go, Kanna," he ordered her. "Go and find the source of this energy, and don't hesitate to use your powers."

Kanna nodded, but remained blessedly quiet. Then, she disappeared without even a breeze.

Naraku sat back and smiled. Depending on how well Kanna did this job, he just might not have to endure Kagura anymore.

* * *

I really don't know Kanna's eye color, so I apologize if they are not pale. (The rest of her is pretty pale, though, that much I do remember.) I'd happily correct this, if it's a mistake. 

So, yes... I write. You review. Good system, ne?

Well, I really enjoy reviews, and they motivate me a lot. And if you have a conjectures or suggestions or anything, I'd love to hear them. As long as it's not just groudless insults, I'll be fine.

Actually, groundless insults are better, because I can just ignore them, and pretend I'm mature, and you'll just be a "stupid prat." (  
"I'm a big girl now."


	10. Chapter Ten

**DISCLAIMER:** Sesshy is _all_ mine... I wish! Unfortunately, he isn't mine at all. Neither is any other characters in this story.

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories. So far, Kagome is still trying to work off the debt Souta owes Sesshoumaru. Kikyou is still pissed at Inuyasha for leaving her. Naraku is still self-obsessed and self-deluded. Sango is still unengaged to Miroku just so she can worry about dead people. And Kohaku and Rin are still a couple who just want a normal, quiet life. I wonder if Shippo is going to make an appearance this chappie... maybe. Maybe not.

**WARNINGS:** I'm going to make it simple: Don't read the story if you don't like it.

**Author's Notes:** This story is alive! This is the ten chapter celebration! What makes me really happy is that this story actually has a plot carrying it.

Thank you to readers who pointed out that Kanna's eye color are black. I have fixed this on my copy, but it will take some time before the changes are uploaded. (Hey, I'm not going to be the one interrupting the sudden influx of muse-talk.)

As goes without saying, a big thanks to all of you have read my story and enjoyed it. And a bigger thanks to all of you who reviewed. It makes me smile for days and it prods the muse. I'm not big on the whole "write to each reviewer" thing, but I really want you to know, that I read each of your reviews very carefully and appreciate each of them from the bottom of my heart. The reviews are huge part of what makes this story worth writing.

Oh, and the Garfield bit from a couple of chapters back is in tribute to my little cousin, who's the cutest cousin in all the world. He was obsessive about Garfield last time he visited me.

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 6/21/05 

**Chapter Ten  
**

That night, nobody slept easily.

Everybody who knew of the Shikon no Tama worried over its momentary appearance, and those who didn't, worried about it simply because everybody else did. Even Souta had a hard time getting to sleep, wondering about how he would convince Kagome to buy him the next volume of Garfield.

Consequently, the six people who stayed over--Sesshoumaru had been too worried about a possible attack on either Kagome or the Shikon no Tama to leave--crammed haphazardly in the three-bedroom house with their two hosts, and nobody woke up quite in a good mood, even for those who had a bed to sleep in.

Sango shared her room with Kikyou, and Kagome stayed in the guest bedroom with Souta, leaving Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru in the living room. It took over an hour just for the brothers to settle who would sleep on the couch and who on the floor. In the end, Sesshoumaru ceded the couch to Inuyasha only because Sesshoumaru was too tall to be comfortable on the couch anyways.

Rin had come downstairs bright and early at five o'clock, humming some obscure song. She greeted Sesshoumaru quite happily, disrupting him from his sleep before she proceeded to make a lot of noise with breakfast.

At six o'clock, Kohaku came down, dressed very neatly, and greeted Sesshoumaru in a much more subdued manner, though he still disrupted Sesshoumaru's sleep. He then greeted Rin and ate breakfast with her, all the while talking about their classes and current events.

Every morning, Sango practiced her youkai-slaying at seven, without fail. This day, too, she came downstairs at seven. During the night, she had forgotten that there were more than just several guests at her house, and when she saw Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sprawled all over the living room floor, she yelped loudly in surprise.

"Well, good morning," she said quite cheerfully to the both of them, before going into the backyard. Although she didn't hum or talk, the woosh-woosh of the Hiraikotsu carried quite well through the wall and window. An occasional bang signaled when her boomerang hit something.

At eight o'clock, Kikyou woke up, and started praying. She never missed her morning prayer, which consisted mostly of praying beads, sitting in the lotus position, and chanting in an obscure language. While this wouldn't bother most people, both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha could feel the fluctuation of her spiritual energy and found this quite disturbing.

Souta must have woken up before nine o'clock, but around nine o'clock, he started getting bored, having reread his Garfield book. He was quite anxious to get the next one, but he didn't have any money, which meant that he would have to convince his sister to buy him the next book.

Therefore, at nine o'clock, Souta began waking Kagome up, which included clapping his hands next to her ear, jumping up and down on her bed, and generally being noisy and obnoxious.

However, Kagome was a deep sleeper, and not easily brought back to the world of the wakeful. Using her pillows and her blanket, she managed to stay in bed for another hour before she finally gave up at ten o'clock. She found herself tired and groggy and her brother quite annoying, and proceeded to give him a blistering lecture.

The lecture went over, of course, like water off a duck's back. Souta simply responded, "So, can we get more Garfield?"

The two residents of the living room, however, were not nearly as lucky. Being inuyoukai, they inherited superior hearing, and were hard put to ignore anything said within fifty meters of them. Both of them heaved a relieved sigh when the front door banged quite loudly and Kagome and Souta left to find some breakfast (and maybe the Garfield book).

At eleven, though, Kikyou finally came down from her prayers and decided that lunch would be a good idea. Since it would have been quite rude of her to raid her hosts' kitchen, she left, as well, to find food. But not without first informing Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, and making sure they heard.

The twelve o'clock mark was only significant, because Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were finally able to fall asleep again at twelve.

At one, however, the doorbell rang, to the irritation of both brothers. They each wanted the other to open the door, and so both tried to pretend to be still asleep, carefully maintaining their breathing. Still, after the doorbell escalated to four successive ones to finally pounding on the door, neither of them could ignore the visitor any longer.

Inuyasha opened the door, and Sesshoumaru yelled, "What is it?" before he even took a good look at the visitor.

"Ha!" Kouga pointed triumphantly to Sesshoumaru. "I knew it."

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked irritably. "I'm not in the mood to kill you right now, but that might change if you stay longer."

"Ha!" Kouga repeated.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "What is it? Just spit it out."

"Ha!" Kouga said for a third time and kept on talking. "I knew that you never had enough power in you to gain such an exalted position. Now I know why: You have the Shikon no Tama."

"I do not have the Shikon no Tama," Sesshoumaru refuted.

"Of course I understand why you would not want to broadcast it, since it does bring out your weakness, but after the... thing yesterday, you can't deny it any longer. You have the Shikon no Tama."

"That actually sounded logical." Despite his words, Sesshoumaru's face remained as impassive as ever. "Except that I do not have the Shikon no Tama."

"Like I said," Kouga tried to explain patiently, but his excitement at his new discovery was obvious. "You never could have done what you've done without the Shikon no Tama."

Sesshoumaru glared at Kouga in impatience. "What are trying to say? That you want to fight me for the jewel which you claim I have?"

Kouga scoffed. "Of course not. I'm merely pointing out that you are not quite as powerful as you appear to be and that Kagome should be mine since you can't protect her adequately anyways."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at Kouga. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Well, I got to go," Kouga said quickly, realizing that he had probably pushed Sesshoumaru too far when he questioned his ability. "I'm not stupid enough to fight with you when you have the Shikon no Tama. I'll fight you on equal footing any day, though, as soon as you're man enough not to rely on a jewel."

As Kouga disappeared in a flurry of dust, Sesshoumaru set foot to give chase. Inuyasha, however, held on tightly to Sesshoumaru's haori, not letting Sesshoumaru leave.

Sesshoumaru turned to Inuyasha. "What is the meaning of this?"

Without looking at Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha said, "He thought you had the jewel because you smell like me."

Sesshoumaru remained still for a moment, not understanding what Inuyasha had just said. Then, he rounded suddenly on Inuyasha, "You have the jewel?"

Inuyasha nodded quietly.

Sesshoumaru took a step toward Inuyasha. "And you didn't tell me?"

Inuyasha shook his head sullenly.

Sesshoumaru leaned down so that his face was mere inches away from Inuyasha's. "I want you to explain. All of it. Now."

"Well..." Inuyasha gulped. For all that he defied his older brother's suggestion and carried on with Kikyou, he had lived with his brother for over a hundred years. He knew quite what his brother was capable of. Even if Sesshoumaru didn't do permanent damage to Inuyasha, Inuyasha knew he could still be made damn uncomfortable.

Quickly, Inuyasha moved to the couch. "Why don't we sit down."

Sesshoumaru nodded regally. "Yes, let's."

* * *

In a temple near Miroku's house, he knelt in front of the statue of some spirit. A picture of Sango was beside the golden idol. Miroku knew that he had to give something up in order for his wish to have any chance of being granted, and that's why he brought his favorite picture of Sango. 

Technically, Miroku could have made another copy of the picture, or scanned it into his computer, so that he wouldn't have to lose the picture even after he burns it. But the burning was symbolic of him handing over Sango's protection to the more powerful spirits. It also showed his determination to keep Sango alive and well, even if it wasn't with him, however much that pained him to think.

"Please," he prayed under his breath after the door to the praying room was shut. "Please, keep Sango safe happy. Don't let anything bad happen to her. Please, you can let anything happen to me, as long as you keep Sango safe and happy."

He fell silent, then, not knowing what else to say. He truly only wanted Sango's safety and happiness.

At the flair of spiritual energy from the temple, Miroku felt much reassured. At least his prayer was heard, if nothing else. Too often, people came to pray insincerely, and Miroku feared that the spirits had begun to stop listening altogether.

Miroku felt like he was saying goodbye to Sango forever as he saw the picture curl in the fire. He knew that he could very possibly never see her again, since he had agreed to that in his prayer.

Suddenly, the door to his praying room slammed open, and a flurry of wind blew out the fire. Coincidentally, the lights shut down as well. All Miroku could see was what seemed like a little girl in white at the entrance of the prayer room.

The girl stalked toward him quietly, and soon Miroku could see that she held something in front of her. It looked round and elaborate, like a mirror, but it seemed misted over, because Miroku couldn't see any reflections.

"Why are you here?" he demanded, keeping a tight hold on his staff. "This is a private praying room."

"I am following the spiritual power," Kanna answered simply in a monotonous voice. Slowly, she turned her head to scan the room, finally resting her black eyes on Miroku.

She demanded, "Show me your spiritual power."

Miroku frowned in incomprehension. "What are you talking about?"

"I felt a spiritual power, but I don't feel it anymore," Kanna explained calmly, evenly. "Therefore, you must be hiding it."

Miroku frowned harder. There was something wrong with the girl. She carried a large mirror with her, dressed all in white, and seemed completely devoid of any emotion--not just tightly controlled emotion, but no emotion. Furthermore, if her spiritual sense was as acute as she claimed it to be, Miroku wondered how she could not differentiate between the spirits' powers and his own.

"I hide nothing," he declared as he stood up. "The powers you feel are not mine. They are the spirits' power."

"I will not hesitate to use my powers," Kanna said. It would have been more threatening had she sounded like she was speaking to Miroku. Instead, though, she seemed to be reassuring herself.

Kanna turned the mirror sideways, and suddenly, Miroku saw himself reflected in the mirror. But the Miroku in the mirror seemed to be slightly older, and Miroku was sure that he was not smiling right now.

Miroku felt some sort of mild attraction. As he looked down, though, he realized with a shock that the white balls light floating toward the mirror were parts of his own soul. Unwilling to give up without a fight, Miroku sought to use his spiritual powers, only to have them dissipate quickly into the mirror as soon as he gathered them.

Hopelessly, Miroku tried to think of a way to combat the girl's unnatural powers even as he felt his soul distancing from his body. Soon, his thoughts slowed and became muddled.

All the while, Kanna felt mildly puzzled. The influence of the man was gone, but she still couldn't feel the spiritual power that she had felt a moment ago. Maybe he didn't have the Shikon no Tama after all.

Kanna came to the decision that he couldn't have the Shikon no Tama and turned and glided out of the praying room. She supposed that she would just have the wander around the city some more.

And maybe use her powers some more.

Kanna was newly made, and she understood very little. She had no idea what her power really was. Only, she knew that she felt much more energetic than a moment ago. Her master had instructed her to use her powers without hesitation, and so she supposed her powers could be used as often as she wanted.

Miroku barely felt the girl leaving. He was left with a minimum amount of his soul, and he struggled to remember to breath, even though it felt as if his soul, mind, and body were no longer connected. He had enough presence of mind, though, to thank the spirits before he passed out completely, because his wish must have been granted.

* * *

At two in the afternoon, Sango had an epiphany. She had just finished her second session of practice with the Hiraikotsu. Desperate for vengeance for her clan's deaths, Sango had practiced more and more feverishly everyday. 

Everytime she practiced, she thought about her father's dying words, "Tall... human... white..."

She had thrown her Hiraikotsu out into the field, targeting the three little practice boomerangs she had thrown out earlier, and she had thought about what her father had said.

And she had understood.

The only being who had enough power to wipe out an entire clan of demon killers was right in front of her eyes. He was tall, he had white hair, and he was relatively human-like.

Sango didn't know how she could have missed that the first time she met Sesshoumaru. She could only suppose that she put too much trust in Kagome's judgment.

Sango always knew that Kagome's was too trusting. Although Sango didn't want to be the one to tell Kagome that she was associating with the wrong sort of people by talking with Sesshoumaru, Sango also felt a great weight lifted off of her with her new realization.

Finally, she would be able to avenge her clan, and she couldn't help but feel a moment's exhilaration at that.

Finally, she would be able to let the past rest.

There was of course, a small problem, being that he currently stayed under her brother's roof, and therefore under his protection. Sango, thought, though, that that was an easy problem to solve. She was sure that she could come up with some way to lure him out at night, by himself.

For the first time in a long while, Sango truly smiled.

* * *

At two in the afternoon, Inuyasha sat at a table with a silent Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha had managed to sum up the long history between Kikyou and himself in five minutes. And the other fifty minutes had been pure hell waiting for his brother to react. Somehow. Anyhow. 

When somebody knocked on the door, Inuyasha was grateful to have an excuse to do something besides waiting. He hated waiting, especially if it looked like Sesshoumaru was about to have a fit anyhow.

"Hi, Kagome," he greeted cheerfully as he opened the door. The cheerfulness bounced off the walls and rang hollow in his ears, but he managed to keep up his overly-bright smile.

Kagome cast Inuyasha a suspicious look and stuck her head through the door, looking for any suspicious activity. When, she found everything normal--it seemed that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were the only ones home--she stepped inside the house.

Before she could question about Sesshoumaru's silence, though, Inuyasha asked, "Where's Souta?"

Kagome shrugged. "I refused to let him buy Garfield books, so he decided to stay and read at the bookstore. I'm picking him up in a couple of hours."

"You're leaving him alone?" Inuyasha asked. He remembered Souta as a little child of ten. Besides, even fourteen years was very little time for a youkai.

"Yes, well, it's just the bookstore." Kagome flattened her lips. "It's not like I'm leaving him in a casino or a night club or something."

"Uh, okay," Inuyasha said lamely. He snuck a peek behind him to see how Sesshoumaru would react to what Kagome just said, but Sesshoumaru remained still as a rock.

Kagome, too, seemed to just realize how badly her statement could be taken. She, too, noticed Sesshoumaru's unnatural stillness.

"What's up with him?" she asked Inuyasha as she hung her coat up.

"I don't know." It was Inuyasha's turn to shrug. "Kouga came by around one and said a couple of things. Then we talked for five minutes. And he's been silent ever since."

"I wonder what Kouga said," Kagome said more to herself than to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha answered anyways. "He said some things about Sesshoumaru using this jewel to augment his own power, and that without this jewel, Sesshoumaru would not have beaten him at all."

"The Shikon no Tama?"

Inuyasha nodded. "But he doesn't have it."

"And he still looked like would have won that fight against Kouga." Kagome thought for a moment. "I wonder what made him so upset."

"Well," Inuyasha continued his story. "Then, Kouga basically said that Sesshoumaru can't protect you adequately and therefore should let Kouga claim you quietly."

Kagome frowned in distaste. "Is he talking about that again? Anway, Sesshoumaru has protected me adequately."

"Keh." Inuyasha lifted his nose contemptuously. "That's just his pride talking. He probably can protect you, but he's too selfish to. And basically, it amounts amount to the same thing, because you'll just get hurt by hanging around him."

Sesshoumaru slammed the table suddenly and stood up, making both Kagome and Inuyasha jump. "Of course I can protect a mere human," he said darkly, replaying Kouga's accusation in his head. He would show that wolf what he was made of. "I'll protect you, Kagome."

"Oh," Kagome exclaimed softly at Sesshoumaru's vehement declaration, as Sesshoumaru walked away.

Inuyasha sighed in relief as Sesshoumaru left. It seemed like Sesshoumaru wasn't going to interrogate him. At least for today.

* * *

Yes, I add notes both at the top and the bottom, in case you haven't noticed. I didn't have so very much to say this time, though... 

Shippo Appearance

Shippo stared at his father's picture above the fireplace. The brow was just a bit thicker than he thought he remembered, and the hair just a bit brighter orange.

"Papa," he confessed painfully to the picture. "I can't remember you anymore."

Shippo knew that just after his father had been butchered, he had always slept with his father's skin, and it had comforted him when nothing else could. Back then, he had just been a little cub.

But now, after five hundred years, he was finally coming close to becoming an adult. He was no longer fearful that his tail would slip out inadvertantly, but worried about self-righteous humans and what they would do if they ever discovered that he was a youkai.

His father's skin lay carefully preserved in a storage box at the bank. Despite the multitude of spells he had slapped onto the skin, the skin had started decaying in the last century, and was now very fragile. Shippo doubted very much that his father's skin would last through the twenty-first century.

He had long ago realized that it wasn't his father's skin protecting him, but his own confidence when he had the skin with him. Perhaps, he thought sadly, it was finally time to let go.

Nothing lasted forever, Shippo was coming to realize. Even his memory started to deceive him, replacing some of his father's features with those he saw in the mirror everyday. He remembered feeling safe, but couldn't conjure those exact feelings up anymore.

Even if I wrote him in a book, Shippo thought, language would still change and he would still be changed, if not lost.

That was my little Shippo segment... since nobody actually likes reading vignettes, I thought I'd fit it in here. It's in the same timeline and world, but he's not actually in the story.

**Question:** Would you rather see a fic about an arranged marriage, or one about Sesshy as a (pleasure) slave. I have multiple beginnings (five, I think) and I want to get one of those two actually started. (Or tell me if you want to see what I wrote as a plot bunny.)

Another question, for all of you who write: I have issues writing really long chapters (they never seem to want to go over six pages) and I was wondering if there was a trick to writing the sixteen page long chappies...


	11. Chapter Eleven

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything, except parts of the plot...

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories. The plot has gotten thicker, with Miroku severely injured, Sango plotting against Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha trying not to spill his guts. Oh, and Sesshoumaru promised to protect Kagome... O.O

**WARNINGS:** I'm going to make it simple: Don't read the story if you don't like it. And after this, there won't be any more warnings... I'm tired of them.

**Author's Notes:** Uh, in case you haven't noticed, Sango and Kohaku's house are in the outskirts of the city. Hence, it's a house, with backyard, trees, room to practice Hiraikotsu, and too far away from downtown for Sesshoumaru not to stay the night.

As usual, un-betaed... Spellcheck said "attentatively" and "unadornished" were wrong, but I don't know why...

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 6/23/05 

**Chapter Eleven  
**

The simplest plan was the best plan. So thinking, Sango simply left Sesshoumaru a note where he would find it, telling him to meet with her outside that same night. She had important information, the note claimed.

Well past dinner, the sun finally set, after lingering in glorious shades of orange and pink and purple. Sango hid herself behind a tree, with one hand on the Hiraikotsu and both eyes on the house.

Soon, Sesshoumaru glided out of the house, towards where she was.

Sango crouched lower aimed carefully at the approaching figure. She knew she would only have one chance. Silently, The large boomerang twisted a couple of turns in dark night, and to any casual observer, it would have seemed to be hovering, waiting to strike.

Sesshoumaru had yet to change his gait or look around him. Sango watched attentatively as the boomerang completed its full arc to collide with Sesshoumaru.

At the last possible moment, though, Sesshoumaru side-stepped the boomerang. Sango watched in fascination as her boomerang sheared off a few strands of his silver hair before flying back to her.

Somehow, Sango managed catch her boomerang as silently as she threw it, but she began doubting just how secret her position was.

"Sango," Sesshoumaru's voice rang out.

Sango gave up hiding and stepped out from behind the tree. She would try to be cunning, but not cowardly. "What is it, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru lifted his head imperiously, but waited for Sango to draw her own conclusion.

Under his hard, golden gaze, Sango began feeling uncomfortable. He had killed her entire clan, single-handedly. There were over forty well-trained man, who had all had decades of experience fighting youkai. Even the younger men who had fought him ha fought youkai much better than Sango could. How had she ever thought to take him on by herself?

Sango kept her eyes trained on Sesshoumaru, and when he took a measured step forward, Sango stumbled back. She had watched him interact with Kagome, and Sango had forgotten--so stupidly--that Sesshoumaru was not just another person. He was a youkai well established in the underground.

A warm breeze fluttered, lifting Sesshoumaru's bangs. For the first time, Sango saw his forehead clearly, as well as the unadornished crescent.

Realization hit suddenly. The man standing in front of her was Moon.

Kagome might never have heard of Moon, but Sango had. He had almost become a legend in her clan. Merciless, her father had always frowned when he told her about Moon, but Moon had yet to lose in battle.

Their clan had not targeted him only because Moon had not yet hurt innocent humans. He had only killed the worst kind of youkai, all of which had already been on the clan's get-rid-of list, some of which the clan had already fought against and failed.

Hysterical laughter filled the silent night. With a shock, Sango realized that it came from herself.

She had challenged Moon--Moon, himself!--to battle, and there was no way she was going to come out of it alive. Even worse, he couldn't have been the one who destroyed her clan, because her father had talked with Moon before and would have recognized Moon had Moon been the one who attacked the clan.

Sango remembered the words of her father. Recklessness had always been her downfall. Really, she supposed that she had no one to blame for her death but herself because she really did attack him unprovoked.

"Enough, woman." Sesshoumaru cut off her musings along with her laughter. "I have no idea what you imagine you are doing, but it looks rather like somebody is plotting against me."

Sango didn't know what to say as Sesshoumaru pinned her with a hard stare.

"But," Sesshoumaru continued. "Instead of finding whoever left me the note, I found you practicing with your boomerang." He lifted a sardonic brow. "It's fortunate that I managed to evade it, right?"

Before she could say anything, he said, "I will graciously overlook this 'accident' tonight."

Sango opened her mouth to say something, but no words came to mind. She couldn't quite believe that he was letting her off the hook, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I won't forget this, though," Sesshoumaru whispered harshly, startling her. "Rin is under my protection. Her happiness depends very much on your brother's. But be sure that if and when your brother no longer matters to Rin, I will extract the price for your foolishness."

Without another word, Sesshoumaru walked back toward the house.

Sango found herself leaning on the tree, until she was sitting, her back against the tree. She couldn't help but smile at the irony.

Her longevity now depended on her brother's relationship.

* * *

Kagome set a steaming cup of tea in front of Sesshoumaru. "Tangerine tea," she explained. "It's good for you." 

Beside Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha yawned widely. "Why don't I get morning tea, too?" He complained.

"You didn't ask," Kagome said simply, as she went to get porridge from the kitchen.

She had set the bowl of porridge in her left hand in front of Sesshoumaru when Inuyasha whined, "But Sesshoumaru didn't ask either."

Kagome glared at Inuyasha and then put the other bowl of porridge in front of Sango, skipping right past Inuyasha.

The second time round, she brought porridge for Souta and Inuyasha. She brought porridge for herself last--Rin and Kohaku had left bright and early for their classes and Kikyou was still in her room. In her other hand, she held another cup of tea, which she promptly placed in front of Sango.

"She didn't ask for it, either," Inuyasha complained.

Kagome gave Inuyasha a speaking look.

Souta piped up to explain, "She'd get you a cup if you just asked her."

Inuyasha growled quietly, but everybody at the table heard it. "Fine," he said. "Give me a cup of tea, you evil wench."

Kagome sat unmoving for a moment. Then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, in a loud voice that started everybody, she shouted, "Sit!"

Everybody jumped, except for Inuyasha, whose face fell right into his bowl of porridge. He lifted his face up to scowl at Kagome.

"Sit!" Kagome said again, and Inuyasha's face fell promptly back into the porridge bowl. "I can't believe--sit!--you said that! You are so--sit!--rude. Sit! I can tell that neither Sesshoumaru--sit!--nor Sango slept well last night, but you--sit!--seem just fine."

Kagome breathed deeply to continue her diatribe. "'Evil wench!' I'll give--site!--you evil wench. Sit! You want to know what--sit!--evil wench is, see Kagura!"

Sesshoumaru's gaze sharpened. "How do you know Kagura?"

"Huh?" Kagome's expression was one of utter confusion. "Did I say that?"

A moment later, Inuyasha was lifting his head hesitantly out of the porridge. He face was red from suffocation, and he took a long, deep breath, the porridge still hanging all over his face.

Sango commented, "I'm sure Souta meant 'ask nicely.'"

"Nah," Souta said and smiled. "I knew he was going to do this."

Inuyasha stood up from his seat and leaned menacingly over the table and over Souta. "You little e--" He stopped suddenly and snuck a look at Kagome. Noticing her narrowed eyes, he thought better of whatever he was about to say and sat back down.

"How do you know Kagura?" Sesshoumaru repeated his question patiently.

Kagome furrowed her brows. "I'm sure that I don't know the same Kagura as you do."

"Go on, tell me anyways," Sesshoumaru ordered.

"Well..." Kagome sighed. "Sometimes, I dream..." She found her face heating up. "Everybody dreams. Anyways, I've had several dreams where Kagura's in it, and she's not very nice in the dream. She's the first woman I thought of when I thought 'evil.' That's all."

Sesshoumaru wouldn't drop it, though. "What's she like?" As Kagome started to protest, he said, "I know it's just a dream, but tell us what she's like anyways."

"Well..." Kagome thought for a moment. "She's kind of young. She's always wearing a kimono and holding a fan in my dreams. She has black hair, I think, or some kind of dark hair. I'm not sure if my dream was in color, but I do remember one thing. She had bright, red eyes."

"Ah," Sesshoumaru said before he turned pensive again. "You are going to have to tell me about your dreams one day."

Kagome flattened her lips. She muttered, "They're more like nightmares." She didn't understand Sesshoumaru's sudden interest in the things her mind made up, and she certainly didn't appreciate him tell her that she would have to tell him. She only acquiesced this time because she knew he was in a bad mood already and didn't want to make a scene.

Otherwise, Kagome thought, she wouldn't hesitate to take a stab at that puffed-up male pride.

"So," Inuyasha said. "Who is Kagura?"

Sesshoumaru turned to Inuyasha and grabbed Inuyasha's wrist. "We're going outside to have a talk," Sesshoumaru explained to Kagome, Sango, and Souta.

* * *

"Well," Kagome said to Sango as the door closed after Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. "Aren't you going to confide in your very best friend?" 

Sango smiled a little at Kagome's forwardness. "Don't you know Moon's reputation?"

"Uh..." Kagome hesitated.

"No, she doesn't," Souta answered very plainly for Kagome.

"That's what I thought." Sango continued, "I knew there was a reason that you act so... bluntly around him."

"Blunt?" Kagome asked. "I'm never blunt."

"My point exactly," Sango muttered under her breath. Then, louder, "Don't you think you ought to be more... cautious around him? You don't know him that well, and he is a fairly powerful youkai."

Kagome looked at Sango strangely. "What's gotten into you today?" Kagome smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. There's four of us who don't cower around him, and only three of you who do."

"Well..." It was actually three and three even, Sango thought, because Kagome's blind faith really shouldn't count. However, logistics hardly counted when arguing against Kagome.

Sango didn't know exactly how she was going to explain it to Kagome without Sesshoumaru knowing. Sango knew that if Kagome asked Sesshoumaru any questions, it would become immediately obvious to him who had warned Kagome away from him. Sango doubted that that raise his esteem for her.

Nevertheless, Sango couldn't in good conscience let her friend walk right into Sesshoumaru's dangerous trap, whatever it was.

Before Sango could think of how to caution Kagome, though, Kagome said, "Rin's really fond of him. So, he can't be that bad."

"Rin's under his protection, though," Sango explained. She knew she was only alive because Rin was under Sesshoumaru's protection.

"That's okay, then," Kagome said readily, shocking Sango. "Because I'm under his protection, too."

"You are?" Sango asked stupidly. "I mean, it doesn't automatically just extend over anybody living under the same roof."

"It was a male ego thing." Kagome rolled her eyes. "Kouga said something about something, and Sesshoumaru just had to puff up his chest and prove that he can protect me, and then he told me he will protect me."

Sango closed her eyes in relief. "That's good."

"Good?" Kagome looked skeptical. "That was totally chauvinistic. I can protect myself just fine, thank you very much. If he really wanted to protect someone, he should protect Souta or something."

Souta became indignant. "Hey! I'm already fourteen. I don't need protection."

Kagome glared at Souta. "Which is why, of course, I'm still currently working for Sesshoumaru."

"You're working for Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked, not sure if this was good or not.

"Long story." Kagome waved it off. "Maybe I'll tell you some other time. Right now, I have to do the dishes."

"We can do it together," Sango offered.

"That's okay." Kagome thought for a second. "If you really want to do me a favor, you can take the little boy with you to the bookstore."

"Yeah, yeah," Souta agreed whole-heartedly, overlooking the comment about 'little boy.' "Let's go now."

"Sure." Sango piled the dirty dishes together. "I have to go to a specialty shop downtown anyways."

"Oh, and Sango?" Kagome called from the kitchen. "Sesshoumaru seems like a good guy. Don't lose sleep over him, 'kay?"

Sango smiled at Kagome's optimism. "Sure."

* * *

Inuyasha's ears pricked up as they walked to the backyard. "What did you want to tell me?" 

Sesshoumaru looked at the blue sky. "Have you heard of Naraku?"

"Naraku?" Inuyasha repeated dumbly. "Uh... no. Am I supposed to know him?"

"I thought you knew." Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I knew. Kikyou knew. I thought that even if she didn't tell you, you would have found out where she went in all those hours she was not with you."

"I know where she went. Don't try to break us again with lies," Inuyasha defended stoutly. "She went to heal the sick."

"The sick..." Sesshoumaru paused, as if in thought. "I suppose so. It was only one person, though. It was Naraku."

"Nope, never heard of him," Inuyasha denied adamantly.

"He used to call himself Onigumo..."

"Still never heard of him." Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair. "Does it really matter? I mean, Kikyou was spending lots of time healing a sick guy, for free. That just shows how good she is. Only a sick bastard like you would turn it against her."

"Let me tell you a story, then," Sesshoumaru insisted, as he turned to look at the bright morning sky.

Inuyasha snorted but folded his legs and sat on the ground.

"I have always had youkai trying to usurp my place," Sesshoumaru started. "But about four or five years ago, one youkai started insistently undermining my power. At first, it was little things: fighting in a bar, robbing somebody I employed and therefore under my protection, dine and dash, vandalizing my buildings...

"But then it turned into bigger things. A couple of people were driven crazy, and to this day, I still don't know why. Although, I can guess. A dancer started shooting in the middle of her performance. Only, she was already dead and reanimated. Poison gas, found right in my own office, which only affects humans and kills them after they walk out of my office. So that it looks like I killed them."

Sesshoumaru turned his golden gaze on Inuyasha. "Don't you know what this means? Somebody is purposefully, consistently, and underhandedly trying to sabotage my position. It was a blow to my pride and a danger to my position. Furthermore, I do not want innocents harmed--"

Inuyasha scoffed.

"--despite what you may think. I investigated the incidents, and they all traced back to one person: Naraku."

Here, Sesshoumaru paused in his telling. When Inuyasha did not react, though, Sesshoumaru kept on telling the story. "Naraku was a hanyou. He was born from the man named Onigumo, whom Kikyou healed."

Sesshoumaru cut off whatever objections Inuyasha was about to make. "But, that still wouldn't have made me suspicious. After all, healing madmen is not a crime, not even in my book. But Kikyou had not stopped seeing Naraku after his rebirth. I was informed of at least two meetings, and attended one myself.

"The two did not sound friendly, but the did sound as if they had reached some sort of agreement. Naraku's rebirth was just months after she started showing interest in you. I couldn't help but think that Kikyou had a hand in Naraku's rising."

Inuyasha gazed hard the ground, and picked absently at the grass. "But--"

"I just want you to think about it." Sesshoumaru paused, silently debating whether or not to tell Inuyasha about the next part, but he decided that he might as well. "I tried to protect you from human treachery, but I think it's time that you start thinking for yourself. You can still choose to waste your life away on a human woman, but I will choose to divorce myself from your problems."

Inuyasha opened his mouth, as if he had some objections, but he thought better about whatever he was about to say and shut his mouth again. Finally, he said, "Sure, I'll think it over."

Sesshoumaru nodded.

Inuyasha found himself sitting in the yard for a long time after Sesshoumaru went back into the house.

* * *

Kikyou frowned as she continued her prayers. She prayed every morning, partly to renew her own priestess powers, and partly to reassure herself that the city or town or village--whichever she stayed in--was safe. 

Since she had come back to Tokyo, her morning prayers had become three times as long, she had to cover a greater area and population. The city, especially downtown, was so dense was people, that sometimes, Kikyou had difficulty verifying each individual soul. They all seemed like one big mass.

Today, though, Kikyou was pretty sure something was wrong. She found one pocket of souls, crowded together, almost indistinguishable, and constantly merging and separating. What disturbed her more, though, was a hole without souls.

It wasn't a big gap, and just on the fringe of the city. With the population and bizarre migration patterns of Tokyo, Kikyou might have even missed it.

However, Kikyou had a contact in that part of Tokyo. She had ran across Shippou when she had first started training to be a priestess, and he had been in trouble. Too confident of her own powers, Shippou had had to divert some of his attention and energy to keep her safe, and had gotten hurt in the process.

Kikyou had patched him up after that, and it was one of the few things that she felt guilty about in his life. They still occasionally contacted each other, and for the most part, Kikyou felt that it was part of her duty to keep him safe.

The gap came perilously close to where he lived. Kikyou had tried to sense his soul, but she couldn't, and she felt a rare bout of panic at this realization.

Quickly, Kikyou slung the quiver of arrows over her shoulder and grabbed her bow. Just as she was about to leave the room, though, Inuyasha burst in the door.

"Do you know Naraku?" He demanded.

Kikyou looked at Inuyasha, and thought about what to answer. While she felt that she may owe him some answers, the situation with the gap of souls was much more urgent.

Finally, she said, "Come with me, and I'll explain."

* * *

Now, why does it feel like I'm writing a soap opera? 

And, Sesshoumaru leaves people thinking an awful lot, doesn't him?

Oh, and for anybody who expects a good sex scene, don't. Unless for some reason I actually get laid before the end of this story (which is possible, but not likely) I don't plan on writing something I know absolutely nothing about as readers pick at the implausibility of the scenes I write. (Don't even mention the Kagura experiment.)

Coming up next: Inuyasha decides to leave Kikyou (for good?), Souta finally gets a Garfield book (huh?), and we meet Shippou (all grown up). Oh, and some SeKag fluff. (I'll try, anyways.)


	12. Chapter Twelve

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything, except parts of the plot...

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

**Author's Notes:** I'm going crazy, and I have officially forgotten all the rules to English grammar.

I might have a lemon add on scene, but like I said, I'll probably just mess it up. There are plenty of SeKag p. w/out plots... Besides, upon rereading a couple of sex scenes I have attempted, I can only describe them as "awkward."

Thank you so much, **crazy07**, for sending me the e-card. I absolutely loved it! (That definitely deserved two exclamation marks, but I think is weird about multiple exclamation marks. It deleted my triple exclamation mark on another thing.) For those of you who are curious, it was a picture of Sesshoumaru, all red and glittery and on the bottom, it said "glitter." It makes me happy that people remember my story.

With this chappie, the word count is officially 31,080. I'm aiming for 100,000, but we'll have to see if I actually have enough plot for all that. (Or I could just slip in some lemon... lots of lemon...)

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 6/30/05 

**Chapter Twelve  
**

"Well," demanded Inuyasha as he trailed behind Kikyou.

"Shh," Kikyou admonished. She stepped carefully around the corner, only to find another empty street.

From the top of the hill, she could easily see the rows of apartment buildings. Most of the windows were open, hoping to catch the elusive breeze in a hot summer afternoon. Drapes flowed out of some windows, plants sat at others, and there were even a few drying sheets swaying in the

"Well?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"Quiet," Kikyou snapped, as she scanned her surroundings carefully trying to identify the subtle feel of wrongness in the neighborhood.

Petulantly, Inuyasha said quite loudly, "Why? I don't see anybody here."

Kikyou narrowed her eyes. There was nobody there. Not a person on the street or tending the shops. Not a sound of cars or cooking or chattering or laughing. No children playing or old women sitting on their porches.

"We are in the heart of the city," Kikyou whispered to Inuyasha. "But we don't see anybody. Not a single person. Why is that?"

Surprised at Kikyou's analysis, Inuyasha looked around the neighborhood again. "I don't know. Maybe they're on vacation or something."

"On vacation? All of them? You are an idiot to even come up with such a stupid idea," Kikyou said coldly. "Something is definitely wrong."

As Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, Kikyou whispered harshly, "And do be quiet!"

Stung, Inuyasha followed Kikyou quietly as she weaved through the unnaturally silent streets some more.

Finally, Inuyasha broke the silence. "What are you looking for?"

"I don't know," Kikyou said, irritated.

"Fine," Inuyasha huffed. "I don't know why you won't just tell me about Naraku."

"This is more important," Kikyou answered distractedly as she noticed a door slightly ajar. It was the door of Shippou's apartment building and Kikyou wondered if this was a good sign or a bad sign.

Inuyasha followed Kikyou into the building. The lights have not yet been turned on by the doorman, who lay on his table, appearing to be asleep. Inuyasha wandered over to the still form of the doorman and yelled, "Hello!"

There was no response from the doorman.

"Keh, Whatever these people pay for maintenance is definitely not worth it." Inuyasha turned to the doorman again, and shook him by the shoulders. "Wake up."

Kikyou headed toward the elevators. She pressed the up arrow and it lit up. "At least the elevator is working," she said. Then, without looking at Inuyasha or the doorman, she said, "Leave him, Inuyasha. He's not waking any time soon."

Inuyasha scowled at Kikyou's back. "How do you know?"

"I know," she answered, sounding impatient. "Because his soul is not there anymore."

Inuyasha leaped away from the body. "You mean he's dead?"

"No," Kikyou answered shortly.

"Then what?"

Kikyou spared Inuyasha a glare. "I mean that somehow, his soul has left his body, and the body will eventually die without the soul to animate it. But right now, it does not need food or water."

The elevator arrived and Inuyasha followed Kikyou. She pressed the button marked "7."

"Why seven?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because I feel like it."

Neither Inuyasha nor Kikyou said anything else as the elevator finally read "7." Kikyou stepped out of the elevator and turned left. Then, she took out her keys and unlocked the door that said "703." She was grateful that Shippou had given her the key when she asked to stay with him when she first came to Tokyo, sensing Inuyasha here.

"Shippou," she shouted loudly as she took off her shoes.

Under his breath, Inuyasha muttered, "How come you get to be loud?" He followed Kikyou sullenly around the room.

"Shippou?" She repeated as she stepped into the living room.

She walked through the apartment carefully, and stepped inside the open bedroom.

There, she saw Shippou's fallen body. She ran over and started shaking him, "Shippou? Shippou! Wake up!"

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her shake the tall, orange-haired youkai. Then, he asked, "Isn't his soul gone?"

Kikyou paused at this. "Yes," she agreed in a little voice. She closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "Yes," she repeated. "It's gone. What am I going to do?"

Inuyasha eyed the limp body uncertainly. He asked, "Who is that anyways?"

"None of your business," Kikyou answered without looking at Inuyasha.

"The hell it's not my business!" Inuyasha stepped toward Kikyou and stopped suddenly. He turned and paced instead. "You're here, with the key to a man's house, and worried over him. Of course it's my business."

"Jealous?" Kikyou asked coolly, still looking over Shippou.

"Of course not," Inuyasha answered quickly.

Kikyou snorted. "That's right. You left me three years ago. You have no right to question anything I do with anyone."

"I didn't leave you," Inuyasha denied. "You left and I couldn't find you. But you know what? I don't care anymore. You can be with whomever the hell you want."

"No, you didn't find me. You only found Kagome, the princess of the family," Kikyou replied bitterly.

Inuyasha either missed the bitterness in her voice or chose to ignore it. "Yeah, I found Kagome alright and she's a thousand times better than you."

Kikyou pulled out an envelop from underneath Shippou's still form. On seeing that it was addressed to her, she opened it and skimmed the contents, her frown deepening more and more.

"Hey, listen to me when I speak," Inuyasha demanded as he tore the letter from her hands.

Unfortunately, she had held on tightly to the letter, and Inuyasha only got the top two lines.

"'Kikyou,'" Inuyasha read aloud as Kikyou tore up the rest of the letter. "'Naraku wants you to...' What the heck? You do know this Naraku person?"

"Do you always listen to your dear older brother?" Kikyou questioned.

Inuyasha crumbled his part of the letter in his hand. "Just answer my question, dammit!"

Kikyou turned to look out the open window onto the still, quiet street. "Of course I know Naraku."

"Did you help him?" Inuyasha pressed.

Without turning, Kikyou said, "Yes."

"Are you still helping him?" Inuyasha's voice cracked with his desperation.

"I suppose so." Kikyou continued gazing out the window. "You're brother is actually quite astute."

"Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed again. He pointed at Shippou's unmoving body furiously. "It's because he's a full youkai, isn't it?"

This time, Kikyou turned and looked at Inuyasha in the eye. "Anything..." she stated vehemently. "Anything's better than the scum you are."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said softly. "I know that."

Before Kikyou could stop him even if she was inclined to do so, he rushed past her and jumped out the open window, landing on the street below with a soft "thud." He didn't waste time stopping, and ran until he was back at Sango's house. He climbed up the tree in Sango's backyard and determined to stay there until somebody called him down from it.

And if nobody wanted him, fine. He could just starve to death.

* * *

Sesshoumaru was reclined lazily on the living room sofa as Kagome cooked dinner. Kagome had claimed that it was only right that she helped out while imposing on Kohaku. 

"Where the hell is that idiot?" Sesshoumaru asked rhetorically.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out from the kitchen.

"There is no other idiot," Sesshoumaru said contemptuously.

Ignoring his last comment, Kagome said, "I think I saw him leave with Kikyou."

"Kikyou?" He tucked a stray strand of white hair behind his ear. "Why is he with her again? I have told him repeatedly that he is to stay away from her. No good will come out of their association."

"I don't know," Kagome said thoughtfully, stirring the udon carefully. "I think that he'll be alright. I think she loves him."

"Not a chance." Sesshoumaru waved his hand indolently. "Kikyou is definitely just using Inuyasha."

"How can you say that?" Kagome frowned. "I thought that she was genuinely heart-broken. Did you hear how betrayed she was?"

"Whatever." Sesshoumaru shifted slightly on the sofa to a more comfortable position. "That was just acting. There's no such thing as love, anyways."

Kagome paused in her stirring. She exclaimed, scandalized, "How can you say that? Love is one of the truest feelings in the entire world."

"Okay, then," Sesshoumaru indulged in Kagome's beliefs. "She felt that she loved him. And now she doesn't feel like loving him anymore. It's all the same."

"I'm making dinner." Kagome huffed indignantly at Sesshoumaru's assessment and proceeded to ignore him.

* * *

"Will you buy me a Garfield book?" Souta asked Sango. 

"Just read it here," Sango answered as she browsed through the book.

"But we have to leave," Souta said.

"Yeah, of course," Sango said. "Eventually, we'll have to leave."

"No." Souta shook his head emphatically. "We have to leave now."

Sango took another book from the pile of books on the table and flipped it through, looking for mentions of the history of youkai-human relations. "No, we don't. You have time to read more."

"Sango-nee-chan," Souta whined. "We really have to go now."

Sango set the book aside warily. "Are you hungry?"

Souta shook his head. "Something's happening to my sister. So we really should go back. Now."

Sango arched a disbelieving brow. "You are so worried about your sister that you are trying to convince me to buy you a cartoon book."

Souta made a noise of teenage frustration. "We have to go now, and I can't finish my Garfield book, and so you should just buy me the book and we should go."

"This is how you got into trouble with Moon." Sango picked out another book from her pile on the table. "Besides, nothing's going to be wrong. Sesshoumaru's there with Kagome, and Sesshoumaru can take care of most bad things."

Souta took the book forcibly out of Sango's hands. "We really have to go."

Sango just picked out another book from her seemingly endless pile.

"Really," Souta said seriously. "I'll bet you a Garfield book that my sis's in trouble."

"Uh-huh," Sango made a noncommittal sound. "I don't think I like Garfield."

Souta stamped his foot in frustration. He didn't know the way back or have the money with him to buy his own subway ticket--Kagome had refused to let him handle money. Otherwise, he would hurry home himself.

Souta pulled on Sango's sleeve. "We _have_ to leave."

Sango sighed and straightened the pile of books she had left. "Fine, fine," she gave in. "We'll go home now, even if there's another four hours until the bookstore closes tonight."

"And buy me a Garfield book?" Souta asked hopefully.

Sango picked up her bad. "Only if you were right. Although, you should hope, as I do, that you are not right."

* * *

Just as Kagome finished making dinner and was piling the various food onto dishes and bringing them over to the dining room, the front door opened to Rin and Kohaku coming back. They barely managed to say hi before collapsing on the sofa next to Sesshoumaru. 

"Tired?" Kagome asked as she placed another dish on the table.

Kohaku nodded.

Rin elaborated, "Myouga-sensei is back. He's a harsh taskmaster."

Kohaku nodded again.

Rin frowned in thought. "We thought we had a sub until today, but he came back and gave us a test. It was a really hard test, too."

Kohaku shared a look with Rin. "Well, at least we passed."

"What was your test on?" Kagome asked. She rather worried about Kohaku and Rin's fatigue. It seemed like they had been running a marathon or something. She wondered how Souta would handle college.

"Ancient history," Kohaku answered.

"Things we haven't studied since last semester," Rin added. "I only knew it because I grew listening to these stories."

"Your parents liked history, then?" Kagome asked.

Rin shook her head even though Kagome couldn't see it. "I was an orphan," Kagome heard her say. "Sesshoumaru is really good with history, though. He's really good with story telling, too."

Kagome turned around to see a scowl on Sesshoumaru's face.

"You made me tell stories," Sesshoumaru defended himself.

Rin smiled brightly. "But they were really good stories." She winked conspirallingly at Kagome. "You really should make him tell you some stories, especially the one about the First Youkai War."

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said, a clear note of warning in his voice.

Rin only smiled wider. "You like telling stories, too." After a slight pause, "Why don't you tell us a story now? We could eat and enjoy a story."

"I will not tell stories like a decrepit old lady," Sesshoumaru stated.

As Rin opened her mouth to protest, Kagome said soothingly, "I'm sure Sesshoumaru tells very good stories, but he's probably not in the mood today."

"But, Sesshoumaru..." Rin whined in her best imitation of when she was five.

Instead of being persuaded, though, Sesshoumaru only said, "The weather's nice. We should eat outside."

At this, Kagome looked at the dining table, loaded with dinner, and the front door. Kohaku finally said, "I'll help carry the food."

Rin came and helped carry some of the food to the table in the backyard, too. Sesshoumaru simply sat regally and comfortably in one of the chairs, waiting for the food to be brought to the table.

The four of the dug into the food quickly. Rin was stuffing herself with udon when she thought to ask Kagome, "Where are the other four people?"

"Sango and Souta are in the city. Souta's obsessive about some American comic." Kagome ate a fishball from her own bowl of udon. "As to Inuyasha and Kikyou..." Kagome shrugged. "I have no idea."

Sesshoumaru ate with impeccable manners. Still dressed in his traditional gi, Kagome had to marvel at the picture he was presenting. Lush summer greenery, a brilliantly colorful sunset, and Sesshoumaru sitting, as regal as you please. Kagome thought there was something very... royal about the picture he presented.

Kagome's reverie was cut short, though, when she heard the front door click open. Thinking it was one of the four people Rin just mentioned, Kagome called out, "Dinner's out in the backyard."

Soon enough, somebody entered the backyard. However, it wasn't anybody that Kagome knew. The girl was short, and looked rather young, but the combination of her white hair and empty black eyes gave her an odd appearance of being something surreal, and not quite human. The round mirror with an elaborate frame seemed like an odd thing to carry around, as well.

"Umm..." Kagome thought about how to treat this person. Finally, she asked bluntly, "Who are you?"

The girl blinked. "Kanna."

"Oh," Kagome said. Then, "What are you doing here?"

Her voice even, Kanna said, "I am searching for my master."

"Oh, okay." Kagome wasn't sure how to reply to that.

As Kagome debated how to politely uninvite the stranger and continue her dinner, she started seeing little white balls float serenely toward Kanna's mirror. They looked like the white fluff that fell from trees in the summer time, but they glowed rather faintly. Kagome looked at the flowing white things curiously, before looking at Sesshoumaru to see his reaction.

"Don't use any soul power," Sesshoumaru warned as he stood up. His stance was now alert and tense, unlike his lazy indulgence just minutes ago.

"I don't even have soul power," Kagome protested.

"Of course you do," Sesshoumaru disagreed. "You are a priestess. But you can't use them now, because this thing sucks out souls, and the more soul power you expand, the more it will suck out the souls."

Kagome's eyes widened in horror. "She's sucking out souls?"

Sesshoumaru nodded grimly. "Judging by the brilliance of her mirror, I'd say she already has a few hundred in her custody."

"A few hundred?" Kagome repeated, as Kohaku placed Rin behind him. Kohaku's hand went to his back, only to realize that he wasn't carrying his kusari-gama. Kagome asked, "A few hundred zombies walking around?"

"They wouldn't be walking around," Sesshoumaru said. "The soulless cannot move beyond the basic breathing and beating of the heart. They're not motivated enough. But the bodies will die soon without the souls, and we better find a way to disable it before then."

Kagome refrained from pointing out that Kanna seemed perfectly human and that they probably shouldn't refer to Kanna as "it." Still, Kagome thought that while violence should always be one's last resort, she was willing to use it on one... being if it meant saving hundreds of lives.

Kohaku ran quickly into the house with Rin, keeping himself between Rin and Kanna. When he came back out, the kusari-gama was in his hand. To Kagome, it looked rather menacing for a college student to be carrying around.

The kusari-gama looked more evil when Kohaku swung it out with practiced ease. The scythe turned gracefully in the air, as Kohaku held the silent chain.

"Don't kill her," Kagome yelled involuntarily as the scythe rounded around to Kanna's back.

But Kagome needn't have worried. A transparent shield appeared around Kanna when the kusari-gama made contact with it.

Kohaku looked at Sesshoumaru. "The shield won't break without soul power."

Sesshoumaru nodded grimly, wondering what to do about this new enemy. Although she looked like a young girl, Sesshoumaru was fairly certain that she was also sent from Naraku.

"Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked Kanna from beside Sesshoumaru.

"I listen to my master," Kanna replied as more bits of souls flew into her mirror.

"But it's not right," Kagome attempted to reason with Kanna. "You can't just take people's souls."

"Why not?" Kanna tilted her head a little, looking slightly puzzled, the first expression she had shown since interrupting their dinner. Kanna glanced down at her mirror for a moment. "The souls are happy."

"But..." Kagome thought for a moment. "Just because they're not arguing doesn't mean that it's right. Sometimes, it's difficult to make the right choice."

"But the souls are happy," Kanna repeated.

Kagome tried to think of another way to explain to Kanna the wrongness of her actions, and failed. At that moment, though, Sango and Souta burst into the backyard.

"What's wrong?" Sango shouted at the same time Kohaku warned, "Watch out!"

Souta's face was confused even though he had known something was wrong. He looked at the innocuous girl in white. As Kanna turned toward Souta, though, Souta saw her black, black eyes and felt himself shrinking back from her emotionless face.

"He'll be happy in my mirror," Kanna told the group at large.

Souta didn't know what that meant, but he noticed for the first time, the white fluffs flowing toward the strange girl's mirror. He felt unusually detached, and could only marvel at the world around him, blurring quickly into a seamless white.

"Souta!" He heard Kagome yell, but he couldn't understand the alarm that was plain in his sister's voice.

* * *

I'm sorry I can't be replying to each individual review. I'm writing on my laptop, but I can't access internet here, so it's very difficult for me to remember who asked me what. I'll clear a couple of things up, though. 

Yes, Kikyou and Shippou were friends. I couldn't fit it in quite right with Kagome. In any case, Kikyou's not evil, just... "misguided."

Oh, and I know that I promised SeKag fluff. It was in there when I wrote the notes for this chappie, but I had to chop the outline in half, there being too much stuff to fit it all in. So, it's been pushed back to next chappie.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything, except parts of the plot...

**SUMMARY:** AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.

**Author's Notes:** I know "prayee" isn't a word, but I can't seem to remember what the word is. If you know, do tell me please.

* * *

**GLITTER**  
by Ethidda  
Written 7/2/05 (4:16 AM, at Frankfurst airport) 

**Chapter Thirteen  
**

Kagome watched in wide-eyed horror as Kanna sucked Souta's soul out. Before, the little white balls of soul-energy had merely drifted toward Kanna's mirror. Now, though, Kagome saw a stream of white light shoot toward the mirror from Souta. She could only understand this in one way:

Souta's soul was leaving his body quickly, and then he would probably die.

"Souta!" Kagome yelled again, even though she wasn't sure what she expected her fourteen year old brother to do to fight the demon. Even she and Sesshoumaru and Sango couldn't find a way to fight the demon.

As Souta stood immobile, though, Kagome decided she had to do something. Despite all the mischief Souta got himself in, Kagome knew that Souta was a kind child at heart. Besides, Souta was her family.

Kagome jumped in between Souta and the mirror, and an invisible shield not unlike Kanna's erected itself. The shield stayed visible, though, simply because now white balls of soul-energy were flying from the shield to Kanna's mirror.

"Kagome!" Sesshoumaru shouted as he realized that Kagome had ignored his orders, much to her own danger. Kagome was his, and Sesshoumaru didn't plan on giving her up anytime soon. However, Sesshoumaru wasn't about to engage in anything foolish before he figured out a fool-proof plan to defeat Kanna.

From where he collapsed on the ground, Souta pulled at Kagome's leg, the only part of her he seemed to have enough energy to reach. "Nee-chan," he rasped. His lung didn't seem to want to pull in very much air. "Don't..."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome sounded normal, but she knew that her strength was slowly leaking away. She could feel her knees trembling. "You're my brother."

As one minute stretched out into two, though, it seemed as if Kanna and Kagome were at an impasse. Both Sango and Sesshoumaru watched in amazement as Kagome's seemingly endless soul-energy was sucked away. Still, they knew that nobody's soul energy could last forever, but could do nothing but wait until Kagome was all drained away.

Kanna stood as still as a stone during these precious minutes. Her mirror grew fuller and fuller and it shone brighter and brighter. Kanna could feel the infusion of energy the strange girl's soul was giving her. Something didn't feel right to Kanna, though, because Kagome's soul gave Kanna so much energy that it seemed like she would burst with the euphoria.

Finally, it seemed as if Kagome's soul-energy was depleted. She fell unceremoniously unto the ground, next to the barely-conscious Souta.

A mere moment later, though, Kanna gave a strange yelp. Sesshoumaru and Sango turned their attention from the fallen Kagome to see a crack down the middle of Kanna's mirror. Instead of the white balls of soul-energy drifting toward the mirror, they were drifting out of the mirror.

Kanna made an inarticulate sound in the back of her throat, either out of surprise or despair, but the more cracks appeared in her mirror, until it fell to the ground in pieces.

Great streaks of white light flew out from where the mirror used to be. The clear blue summer sky was filled with streaks of white. One flew into Souta, and he promptly passed out. Another flew into Kagome.

Sango ran over to Kanna, now that her strange power was gone, but before she could get there, somebody else took Kanna away. It was a strange lady, with black hair, red eyes, and a strange looking fan.

"Kagura," Sango heard Sesshoumaru say under his breath.

Sesshoumaru was already by Kagome's side, but he had looked up and recognized the foolish demon who had tried to get his attention.

Sesshoumaru had realized with a shock, that he knew the female demon. He also realized that it could not be coincidence that Kagura appeared around him twice when something unfortunate was happening.

Later, Sesshoumaru vowed, he would find out Kagura's secret. Kagura was obviously in league with Kanna, and Kanna had hurt Kagome. Kagome was under Sesshoumaru's protection, and therefore Kanna had challenged Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru almost never let those under his protection get hurt, and when he did, he made sure it never happened again.

This all would have to wait until after Kagome wakes up, though. Sesshoumaru needed to know just how long he should torture the impertinent Kagura before he killed her.

If there was a small hint of worry in Sesshoumaru's mind for a mere human, he was not too concerned about it.

* * *

Groggily, Miroku rubbed the back of his head as he woke up. His back and head hurt, and judging by the circumstances, it was because he had slept on a hard floor. 

Miroku frowned. He wouldn't sleep on a hard floor. He hadn't had to since his father had passed away.

Taking a good look around the room, he realized that he was in a prayer room. He must have prayed in the recent past. Bits of paper were in the ceremonial burning vessel, and Miroku thought he must have prayed for a person.

Who? Miroku wondered.

Judging by the things that were left behind, Miroku thought he performed a rather elaborate ceremony, which would transfer all of the bad luck of the prayed for to the prayee.

Miroku stretched his sore limbs. Although something must have happened to him, Miroku thought it could have been a lot worse. True, he had passed out, but judging by the still-hot burning vessel, it hadn't been all that long ago.

Besides, he might not even have passed out from the bad luck. Miroku had learned a long time ago that channeling a lot of spiritual energy at once sometimes resulted in the mind blanking out, and whatever it was he did, it was an elaborate ceremony.

Still, Miroku felt uncomfortable not knowing the particulars of what had happened.

He had a vague sense of resisting fainting. Or something attacking him.

But he couldn't have, because he didn't feel a wound anywhere.

What worried Miroku most, though, was that he couldn't remember for whom he was praying for. Surely, if the person was important enough for him to go to such means to keep the person safe, he would remember the person.

The burnt photograph was no help, and Miroku doubted he had anything at home to remind him of this mystery person's identity. The whole point of the ceremony was that the prayee give the prayed for into the care of the benevolent spirits.

Still, Miroku could remember everything else. He silently recited his own phone number and several other people's. He knew his address. He knew what he had eaten for his breakfast today--or maybe it was yesterday, depending on far into the night it was.

Miroku wasn't the kind of person who dwelled too much on what could not be changed. So, he decided that he might as well get on with him life. Maybe one day, he would remember the person.

Or maybe he wouldn't.

Either case, Miroku didn't think it could matter all that much. It wasn't as if he had a loved one to forget or anything.

* * *

Sesshoumaru paced Kohaku's miniature bedroom. He made a mental note to ask Rin if she needed more money. Surely, nobody would willingly live in a house with a guest room that was only six paces wide. It might be eight or nine paces for Rin. 

Theoretically, Kagome should have woken up by now. It was understandable that the draining and refilling of Kagome's soul would have sent her body into shock. An hour or two could be allotted to her body for it to readjust.

But it had already been four and a half hours.

The door opened to Rin standing with a tray. "Would you like to have some dinner now?" She asked. "I've re-heated it."

"No," Sesshoumaru answered sharply, still pacing.

Rin shrugged before leaving. She rarely ever saw Sesshoumaru so concerned about something that he actually showed his worry, but she knew that until whatever worried Sesshoumaru stopped worrying him, Sesshoumaru was not going to be very approachable.

A couple of minutes after Rin left the room, a groan came from a barely-conscious Kagome.

"Kagome." Sesshoumaru's voice was full of relief as he stopped pacing to sit next to Kagome. "You should know that your brother is fine."

"Uh," Kagome moaned. "I feel like something sucked out my soul and threw my corpse on the ground. Ooh... that hurts." She tried moving her head too quickly, and promptly gave in to lying still.

Sesshoumaru stood up regally. "You didn't listen to me," he accused, his voice emotionless again.

Kagome barely managed a shrug, while lying in bed.

Sesshoumaru turned to look down at Kagome, his face a mask of cold disapproval. "I instructed you not to use soul-energy, but you blatantly ignored my warning."

Kagome muttered, "Not blatantly."

"And this is the result," Sesshoumaru finished as if he didn't hear Kagome's interruption.

"So?" Kagome asked, beginning to be irritated. She wasn't feeling well. She just woke up. And now Sesshoumaru was going to chew her out? Kagome didn't think so. "I managed to save Souta, right?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed ominous. His attitude only fueled Kagome's self-righteous anger. "It was reckless," Sesshoumaru criticized. "You are not to place yourself in a position of danger after I have given you my protection."

"Ooh," Kagome said. "It's all about your he-man pride, isn't it? But 'proclaimed' is right, because I never asked to be under your protection, did I?"

Sesshoumaru sent Kagome a glare that would send braver men trembling and wetting their pants.

Whether it was Kagome's natural audacity, or simply that she was not in the right state of mind, Kagome rolled her eyes at Sesshoumaru.

"Besides," she continued. "If I waited any longer, it would have been too long. I'm a lot better at defending myself than Souta is, apparently."

"If it wasn't for your priestess powers, you would have died."

"Oh, well." Kagome succeeded in sounding uncaring about her own fate. "Besides the fact that I don't have priestess powers, I would much rather that I died than Souta died. It's good neither of us died, though."

"Next time, don't sacrifice yourself foolishly," Sesshoumaru ordered. "There is nothing worth dying for."

"I thought it was worth it." Not only was Sesshoumaru being high-handed about her actions, he was starting to dictate Kagome's morals. "Dying for somebody I love is definitely worth it."

"Maybe," Sesshoumaru said dubiously. "If there was such a thing as 'love.' However, since love doesn't really exist, there is no purpose for you to sacrifice your life for anything or anybody."

"Well, obviously love isn't tangible," Kagome relented. In the years after her father's death, Kagome had thought a lot about the meaning of life and love and family. "But I know for a fact that I love Souta."

"How?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

Kagome shrugged. "I can feel it."

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "You're just being a sentimental female."

"Hey," Kagome managed to raise her voice a bit. "I resent that. But I think maybe you're right..."

"Of course," Sesshoumaru said blandly.

"But," Kagome continued. "I don't think it matters if it's tangible or not. I believe in love. I can feel it. And I think that's all that matters. I can love somebody because I believe I can love somebody."

Sesshoumaru looked into Kagome's dark blue eyes. This time, it was he who said, "Maybe."

* * *

I know, I know... short chappie... but just think of it as an add-on chappie for twelve. (It was supposed to be part of twelve.) 


End file.
